November 2015 newborns and neurotics

[Ladypug]

Hi all,

I can't see a group for babies born in November so I'm starting one! My DD is 2 weeks old and we've had 2 weeks learning curve - breastfeeding, nappy changing, sleep deprivation and learning what cries mean, on top of poor DD struggling to go to the toilet and manic bouts of meltdown crying! How is everyone else getting on?

Sophia, have you tried the couch potato position for a forceful let down? Basically any position where gravity is working against the flow should help. It also stops DD jerking her head away and showering herself and me with milk.

Fast letdown here too and I express a bit before, always have her above me so I'm not forcing milk down her and block feeding has really helped, how are you Sophia? Haven't been on here for so long! Also been feeling a bit down and am at 9 weeks, just all a bit much and DD has a bug so awake all hours and pretty gripey!

Ladypug - I think the 9-11 weeks is the hardest part. It's when the sleep deprivation really kicks in and often when the initial extra help (my brilliant MIL came to stay for 5 weeks) has gone.

DD is 9 weeks. Yesterday I was weeping constantly, felt like the worst mum in the world. Then DH took the baby at 6:30pm, I went to bed and slept for four hours. Managed another 4 hours broken up through the rest of the night and felt like a different person the next day. Still tired but less weepy.

Roll on 12 weeks when they should sleep better. please please please

Morning all
Ladypug good to hear from you, wondered how you were getting on. Marzipants has a point - that these weeks are very hard as the initial help has gone, baby is becoming more alert and putting them to bed is the new challenge.
I found that the 6 week mark gave some relief in that I'd learnt my baby's cues, breastfeeding was easier and I was overall more confident. I also think the 12 week mark will bring a new relief in sleep if your trying with a routine.

My DS is 8.5weeks and sleeps well at night but naps are still tough and I was weepy yesterday and feeling so lost at being 'Mum'. Honestly thought 'what am I doing? I'm doing it all wrong! I'm ruining him!'

Ladypug was your DD sleeping well when she hadn't this bug? If so then you know she'll get better and back on track, if not try researching sleep training. I was mean and started it at 6weeks. DS can now self settle (unless I put him down to sleep when overtired).
Did you work before having DD? I find I'm missing work and the adult decisions as opposed to nappies and burping. But made sure I see a friend most days (most are fellow new-baby mums) for grown-up chat.

Just been catching up on the thread how are we all doing?

Hi Cish! All well here, plodding along ok. DS just over 10 weeks, wakes once in the night to feed, in fact he woke hour &half after a feed last night so I waited and he resettled himself so I need to watch the 4/5am murmurs -he doesn't want/need a feed but I keep going to him (please note I do go to him/feed if the cries are of hunger &watch out for growth spurts).

I need to start getting to some mother/baby groups though, just to break up the week and stop the 'groundhog day' feeling. Fortunately I'm in touch with a few ladies from my pregnancy class which is great. We're going for baby-free night out soon - SO EXCITED! I can wear non-nursing tops!!

How are you getting on?

Hi sophia same here really. We also only have one night time wake. Like you I give her a few minutes to see if she settles before I give her a bottle.

We've been getting out and about quite a bit as she loves the fresh air. She really enjoys her Tuesday baby group also.

Hi all, hope everyone's doing OK.

Ds had his first set of vaccinations yesterday, he wasn't a happy bunny. He didn't get a temperature but he had terrible wind all evening, presumably from the oral liquid one.

Apart from that we are doing OK, ds still only sleeps on me but I can live with that. He spends a lot of time at toddler groups with dd but mostly sleeps through them!

I'm planning to start a baby group soon with DS (waiting until he's 12 weeks or so -when I can be more sure he won't spend the class sleeping or feeding whole way through). Also want to try swimming soon too.
And scariest thing -we've registered him up for nursery in the summer when I need to return to work, oh it's going to be so hard leaving him blinks back tears (although same time can't wait to get back to work!)

Aww Snozzberry, poor little thing, it's horrid hearing them cry -I closed my eyes as they bought the needles over haha! Worst thing? -As the nurse approach my DS he SMILED at her! Broke my heart when he they wailed out in pain, still does. Mine was fine too other than wind and slept loads.
2nd immunisations in just over a week. :-/

Ds will be going to nursery too but not till he's around 1, we'll send him to dds nursery and for the first year she will be there too which will be nice.

That is so sad that your ds smiled at the nurse before she jabbed him! As well as pain from the wind ds has had really stinky farts since he had the jab

Oh my DS used to out stink the house with his parps (lovely when sat breastfeeding, he'did envelope me in a cloud of stink!) But that was when he was only pooping once a week -poor thing was so uncomfortable come Poo Day. Not to mention the smell. Started giving him daily belly massages and now goes once a day and no smell!

That's interesting Sophia, ds currently poos every 3 or 4 days, maybe I should start with the tummy massages too!

DS would only poo every few days and I also found massage really useful. I also do it with Sophie but more for bonding and relaxation.

Word of warning with the tummy massage though - found it was indeed be very relaxing! I got wee'd and poo'ed on last night!! And he poo'ed middle of the night - I'm all for praising the poo (after seeing what DS was like going 7+ days no poo but never thought a middle of the night poo'ed nappy change could be so mentally challenging! But agree with you Cish, the bonding massage bringing is lovely.

Hi all, just popping in to say hello! Sorry I dropped off the threads. Just so busy in rl

Opps, posted too soon. I will try and catch up with the thread but hope you are all getting on well with your los. Dd is 10 weeks today and it has absolutely flown by!

Hi TakesTwo! Happy 10 weeks to your DD - it has flown, my DS is 11 weeks (yesterday). Hope you're doing well :-) Still tired this end (not exhausted anymore but mentally haven't really caught up with the change in pace of life I think!)

I better not do it in the bath then

Oh yes the mid massage poo and wee. Not had it with Sophie but did have a few with DS I nipped to the pound shop and got those absorbent bed sheets in preparation though.

No, pooey bath water would not be a relaxing bath time session! My DS wees all the time in his bath, but usually at the end of bathtime so I, admit, I don't change the water - it'd cause too many tears all round.

Oh never thought of those pads, like the ones we put under our bed sheets when pregnant incase waters broke? What a good idea. I've still got some actually.

My little monkey only woke up once last night - but fed for 45mins (as opposed to the normal 15mins) and then lay in his bed cooing, laughing and hand sucking for an hour. He wasn't upset enough for me to re-settle him but was loud enough to keep me and DH awake. DH asked if he was hungry (because of the hand sucking) but, like i said he'd fed for longer than usual and was finished & winded when I put him down. Wondered if it was the start of teething (there is a lot of dribble), no temperature though.

Yes there the ones. Sophie went from 8-4 last night but it's probably a fluke. She was cooing away and I thought we would be getting up but she went back off. She also constantly has here hands in her mouth she not upset in anyway so I think she has just discovered her hands DM and mil on the other hand think it means she is ready for weaning what is this obsession with weaning babies early. Be assured I am completely ignoring this "advise"

Sophia it could be although teething makes them quite miserable too ime.

I normally have a bath with both dc. The other day I noticed ds doing a wee so quickly stuck his willy under the water so dd didn't freak out

Wow, 8pm-4am? That's brilliant, Cish! We've had 2 nights of similar length which makes me think the 1am wake up is just a habit.

Oh it is little early to be weaning them now. My mum said she started weaning me at 3/4 months but it was only baby rice so maybe that's where your MIL is coming from? Mum actually didn't advise it as it's made the poo's nasty and there's no real need yet. Better to wait until 6 months.

I plan to start weaning DS around 5 months...as want to do some "keeping in touch days" at work as well as going away for our anniversary so grandparents will be able to feed him (I EBF). Then again if he's not ready no rush. Heard/read a lot about this Baby Led Weaning? I was all for it at first until I was told that baby's run the risk of not getting all the nutrients they need and you still have to spoon feed them so going to do a bit of both (spoon feed and finger foods which is what I was going to do before I started reading the books and googling etc etc!!!)

Haha, Snozzberry - that's funny! I used to share a bath with my sister and I vaguely remember freak out moments as bowels were loosened! How it all comes back round full circle.

Hey everyone!

Haven't been on here since before Christmas but it's nice to see everyone doing so well.

We're doing well here, dd2 is just over 12 weeks and this week we've introduced an 8pm bottle.
Bed/bath/dinner times were getting fraught with both of them being on different schedules so now they bath together and one of us goes down to feed the baby whilst the other puts dd1 to bed.
She's taken the bottle well, I give her a boob top up before I go to bed around 11pm and then she has so far slept till morning. I feel like a new woman!

Need to get a bit of structure to my days though. They don't really have many baby groups around here, I need to find some fellow mums from somewhere!

Welcome back brioche!

Sophia where did you hear that about baby led weaning? I did it with dd and was under the impression that babies can get everything they need from milk until they are one, so it doesn't matter how much or how little food they eat. I am planning to do it again with ds.