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?

I'm certainly not planning on weaning yet. She was 15lb7 when she was weighed two weeks ago so I'm guessing when she is weighed tomorrow she will be double her birth weight. She is now on 7oz bottles and showing an interest when where eating so I don't think we'll get to 6 months. Having done a lot of my own research I'll be happy to start at around 4 months but will speak to the HV first though. I'm certainly not starting now because mil wants to give her a biscuit .

So Friday night she went back to her usual 8-2 routine overnight but then last night 7-4. She has only been waking once a night for a few weeks now so I'm happy for her to set her own routine. If it carries on that's great but if not that's fine also.

We tend to have a good routine in place during the week, with her having a long nap post school run or post baby group on a tue. It all goes a bit upside down of a week end though as their more unpredictable. We always do a bedtime routine but other than that it's very much take each day as it comes.

Yes they get all they need from milk. Weaning is all about getting them used to eating by experimenting with flavours and textures.

Hi Brioche! Glad to hear you're doing well. :-) Are you still in France? Baby classes are good, main benefit i get from them is the other mum contact so I suppose you have that here (if not face to face, the advice is still here), if you're looking mainly to get friends for your child then maybe enquire at some of the local pre-school about clubs - they might not have clubs THERE but could put you in touch with other parents...

Well apparently at our local Children's Centre, when our babies reach around 4months we're invited to a talk about weaning (friends who've got babies of that age have told me) and it's mention in this 'talk'. But quite pleased to hear you both say that breastmilk will give him all he needs if I chose to do Baby Led, feeling happier now!

"I'm certainly not starting now because mil wants to give her a biscuit" - haha!
So from the sounds of it we'll all be weaning roughly around the same time, that'll be good.

Our weekday routine is reasonably predictable (growth spurts aside!) but same here - weekends all goes to pot. I've learnt to just roll with it now. If he's tired I put him to bed no matter the time and if hungry I'll feed. I'm relaxed and all is happy! In general it's only out of whack because it's the weekend and we'll go out so not at home to carry out the routine.
DS woke at 8am this morning though (from last feed at 3.30am)- Felt quite guilty and started worrying that baby's time clock would be out, he'll be hungry, he won't nap....then I relaxed, rolled over and thought - LIE-IN!! Life's too short to worry that much.

Were the same in regards to routine feed her when she's hungry and let her sleep when she's tired. I've pretty much let her set her own routine and she seems to be doing that so I just roll with it.

I mostly try and do some kind of bedtime routine so after her early evening bottle we do bath massage story bottle and bed but she very much dictates the time. Also this isn't always successful like tonight she had a bottle at 4 was rather sick at around 5 so gave her a bath then she was exhausted after the bath so had a bottle just after 6 and straight to sleep. So bit of an early one tonight this will possibly mean 2 rather than the usual 1 night feed but hey ho.

With regard to weaning talks I remember getting invited to one with DS at around 4 months, we had already started weaning at 12 weeks though (on the advise of the GP and very gradual ) so didn't attend. I noticed on the time table the seem to do regular sessions (2 tue of the month for example) so I may just drop in on one.

I read up on the EASY method routine (Eat Activity Sleep You), I loosely follow it and watch for sleep cues (means when I put him down to sleep he's off in minutes).

But cant believe this, he's been a great night sleeper for weeks and now just properly woke at 9.45 -I'm sat feeding! He went to bed earlier at 6.30pm -little early but not unusual -and can last until at least 1am! Wonder if the wind outside woke him,
So don't worry Cish, I reckon my nights going to be fun too!!

Be good if they do drop in sessions for weaning talks, makes sense for on-going support & advice.

How was your night Sophia Sophie slept from 6.15-3.15 then went back down until 7 didn't want a feed until 8 though which seems to be her norm.

Just sat in the clinic waiting room for her to be weighed I'm guessing at approx 17lb.

Oh well he woke at 3am-ish then 5.30am (put him back to bed at 6am) and finally up at 7.30am. So still had the two nightly feeds (if a little later than normal). My DH had just run a bath as the airing cupboard and water tank is in DS room (DS is in his own room now), then the heat and sound of the tank emptying and re-filling AND the windy weather outside was obviously too much and he needed boob! Good job Mum was to the rescue! Won't be on Wednesday - off for a drink with the girls (other baby mums).

Your DD is couple weeks older than mine isn't she? I know I shouldn't compare but it helps to know what he should be aiming for. Has Sophie dropped any night feeds?
I'm taking him to be weighed Wed, after his 2nd jabs , he was 13.5lbs 2 weeks ago which wasn't what we expected so hoping for at least 14.5lbs this week.
Were you correct on the 17lbs? I always try and 2nd-guess :-D

Sophie dropped to one night feed a few weeks ago now. She is showing signs of dropping that one now 3/4 nights this week she has done 8-9 hour stretches but I still think we will have 1 wake up for a few weeks yet she is 13+1 weeks (months today).

I was close 17.8lb

Oh good, 17.8lb, doing well then , . DS was doing one feed a night but past 3 weeks or so it's been twice a night.

He has done something genius today though - he LAUGHED!! (Was talking to a friend yesterday and we joked how everytime our baby does a new 'normal' baby development we get overly motherly and think "oh wow my baby's the next Einstein!!" But yes, was looking at himself in the mirror, cooed a couple of times like he's been doing then all of a sudden started properly laughing at himself! God knows what the joke was but it was wonderful to hear!

Oh wow Sophia I bet it was. We have lots of smiles and lots of chatter but no laughing yet. I so can't wait to hear that sound.

Hi all, snozzbery here, fancied a name change. How's everyone?

We are doing OK. I have both kids today and DD has had a tummy upset so not a great day. both kids are currently sleeping on me, luckily my lap is quite spacious these days

So, the question is, shall I get up and try to make dinner, risking waking one or both of them, or shall I just stay sitting here till.dp gets home? I think you already know the answer...

Generally we are OK, ds still just wants to be held 24/7, preferably by me and preferably with my nipple in his mouth. He will just about tolerate other people so long as they put on a constant show of silly faces, jiggling etc. We really have to work hard to get a smile out of this one!

Hi CutYourHair (going to take getting some used the name change!) Hope you let sleeping babes lie and waited for DH! I'm often in a hurry to put DS in his bed when he's falling asleep on me but few times I'm let him I've really let me have that special moment with him, it's so sweet. DS is a good sleeper generally (PAH! Not last night the monkey - 4 times between midnight and 5am - put it down to his jabs and feeling crappy though) but I have always read a book and fed him to sleep so now sleeps on boob and likewise - does seem to be wanting boob a lot past few days. Not even to feed, just comfort. Of all the issues i could have, I don't rank this as too problematic for me so just rolling with it - I'm happier.

Hope your DD's tummy is better soon :-(

Hello, anyone up feeding? Feel I have a newborn again -this is DS 3rd wake up (10.30pm, 1.15am, 4.30am) - he was doing so well with just the one feed, then rose to two now 3!
He is on antibiotics for itchy eczema so could be that...

Hi Sophias, I'm up with DD, she is full of a cold. Just puked mucus all over my PJs. :(

She's been up for about an hour now and showing no signs of dropping off.

Hi Marzipants -my phone battery died not long after I posted, so typical!
Aww poor little thing, did she go down eventually or are you writing today off as a PJ day? :-D I'm full off cold myself but wondering - will my DS likely catch it from me or will I make him immune from my milk?

She went down after a couple of hours and a couple more pukes. She bf too but gets more colds than me. The joy of older siblings! Though I've noticed if I've caught the cold first she doesn't seem to get it so bad. Clutches straws.

By the time she's at school her immune system will be AMAZING. More straw clutching

I'm going to clutch some of those straws and offer much milk as he'll have then, I rarely get colds but feel shocking - feel I'm about to get my first lesson in looking after an ill child when feeling pants myself.
Oh yes, your DD will have a great immune system! :-)

My darling girl belongs here. Born on the 9th of November. Adore everything about her.

Beautiful picture slummy, what is her name

Night all,
Aww Slummy mummy how sweet! And what a gorgeous mop of dark hair! My DS had quite a bit of dark hair when born, it now much lighter and a lot has rubbed off!
Hope everyone is well :-)

Hi, how is everyone? Can't believe my baby is three months old now. I met someone with a newborn and couldn't believe how tiny they were. Ds is growing out of his clothes and has those delicious rolls of fat on his thighs

He's still not in his cot and wakes for boob a lot in the night, but is starting to get info a bit of a routine in the day and goes to my bed at around 8.

On the plus side he's a smiley little boy most of the time and likes playing on his baby gym or looking at baby books with dd in the day.

Hope everyone is enjoying life and motherhood

3months, wow - it is going quickly isn't it? My DS will be 4months in a couple of weeks and realisation shocked me! I know what you mean about the chunky fatty thighs - love them! Some power in them though, getting harder to change his nappy, he'll kick away or does anyone else's DC straighten their legs so makes wrapping the nappy round (or lifting legs us to wipe bottom) harder?

Sadly my son's on antibiotics for skin infection (flucloxacillin) but doesn't appear to be working so come Monday we're onto meds (Aciclovir) for viral infection to see if that works. Trying to get oral meds into a 3.5month old baby is a nightmare and on an empty stomach? Not happening! So it's been a horrid week to be honest and putting strain on my relationship with DH just purely because we're not spending any time together (all my time taken up will sick babe and he's working all hours to get money in now my pay has dropped, pretty pants).

cutyourhair - great that you're getting a routine established :-D

Sorry to hear about your ds' skin problems. Are you using a syringe for his meds? Much easier than a spoon at this age and I still use one for dd who is now three.

Having a tiny baby puts such a strain on your relationship, doesn't it? I could happily murder dp when he complains about being tired - I go to bed with ds but am up feeding several times in the night whereas he's tired because he sat up watching TV . My dp is in the same boat re working hours as he worked part time before and had a day a week off looking after dd; now he has had to go full time and misses spending time with her, which I do have sympathy for.

It does get better though - last time I found that once I went back to work and stopped bfing our parenting responsibilities evened out, we stopped feeling so resentful of each other.

Yes i used a 1ml syringe as easier to manage how much i squirt in at a time, can administer 3mls that way quite quickly now (sounnds harsh but have had to shut myself off from the wriggles & cries otherwise I wouldn't do it - DH has to leave the room which I can understand but why am I left to [literally] do all the sh1tty jobs?

Thank you for your advice r.e. relationships. DH and I have a good, strong relationship but the main thing now is not having time for each other and resenting each other for the amount of chores we percieve we're doing more of. Likewise my DH is rarely in bed before midnight watching TV and then wonders why he's grumpy & tired but can't change him. We're not arguing or nasty but just not 'present' in each others company, it's like we're ships passing in the night just going through the motions of living together.
I hope it's just because I'm tired and currently having to give all remaining energy to our sick baby and he's going through the panic of [lack of] money nd how to find more.