February 2016 - our babies are here!

[IslaMann]

New group for those graduating the ante-natal thread

We get really mixed nap patterns here - days of nothing followed by days when he sleeps all day. No rhyme or reason yet. He's asleep now in his swing chair but it took an hour of him fighting it!

Had our 6wk check up today and all was well. It was a bit disorganised and unstructured but I got the prescription for the pill I wanted and I'm allowed to drive again. Just need to work out isofix - my DH has been sorting all that stuff out as I wasn't even allowed to hold the car seat with the baby in it. Looking forward to being less housebound going forward!

Well done bird I'm waiting until DD is back at school to try a bf group.

handbag hurray for getting out the house!

liberty could you ask them to measure length at the next weigh in? The only reason I have to make appointments is because they no longer have a walk in weigh in clinic.

DS was weighed today has gone to 12lb 2oz and is now on the 25th line instead of the 9th

DD has a school project to show different layers of the rainforest...why did I suggest making a cake?

I don't really find time to snack during the day but have to have a Freddo bar or some toblerone after my tea

Awesome weight well done clumsy

Yeah I think I will ask them...

In other news anyone else feel like they're doing everything wrong.....sleeping/eating/playing with their babies

liberty, I'm sure you're doing fine. It is a big change in your life but babies are made of tough stuff and over time you'll learn what works for your family, which will be totally different to what other families do.

Be kind to yourself! Have you got any family or friends who would be able and willing to look after your baby for a couple of hours and give you some relaxation time like a bath or nap? My mum and mil have done this for me a couple of times. In fact, tomorrow I'm going for a back massage while mum babysits. Can't wait. My posture is bad at best of times but leaning over during feeding and changing takes it's toll!

Thanks. clara hopefully I'll feel better about it all tomo. DD has just been so unhappy today - tiny catnaps so she's tired all the time and not eating properly because she's so tired resulting in falling asleep on the breast! Argh!!

So today's challenge... Who's been to the supermarket? I'm driving today for the first time since DS was born and we're going to Sainsburys. I've been obsesses swivels googling what we do, but I've got no idea what trollies they have until I get there and it's one of those stores where the car park is under the shop. So I'm going to take the car seat out of the car with DS in it and go and see what's there. Worst case is I hung him inside the trolley in his seat. I only need a few bits.

Has anyone done this already and survived?

Liberty - we're all just making this up as we go. Honestly. And whether baby is happy or unhappy is very rarely in our control. Feed them, change them, keep them warm and out of harm's way and the rest will take care of itself. Or at least I very much hope so!

Thanks handbag she's having a major fuss everytime I try and get her to nap...spends half an hour properly crying and then eventually goes to sleep (in my arms this wholes time btw) for about half an hour! Exhausting!

We don't have a car but I've done a full shop with DD in a sling - worked ok but was harder than pre baby obv!

handbag the trolleys usually have a strap to hold the car seat, I just struggled to see over the top of it so put the handle down.

liberty could you try getting her to nap in the sling and save your arms for a change. Your heartbeat and breathing may soothe her.

What handbag said! You're doing amazingly liberty and the most important thing is that the babies are loved, fed and warm. They're still very very new and this big bad world isn't exactly pleasant compared to a lovely womb! Do try and keep some time for yourself if you can and please don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it. How're you doing today?

We had the journey from hell yesterday. Day trip to bham and back for my nana's 90th (and she's very ill). Journey there was ok, just 4 hours, but after leaving two hours later than we wanted we got stuck in a 2 hour jam on the way home. Bubs is fine in a car seat as long as it's moving.... Hence screaming and both of us were in the front! DH kept having to dissuade me from parking on the hard shoulder and feeding him in the car. We sang him his favourite song which helped a little. By that time I was so tired I found myself doing the jerking motions (I was driving but luckily we were stationery). We got through the jam and swapped drivers, then tried to get a travelodge room as we still had 2 hours to go, we were both knackered and it was 1am.They were full :( so DH coffeed up while I kept talking to him progressively more nonsense as I kept nodding off. Finally home at 3pm and then had to feed bubs. Never doing that again.

Sorry cross post! Could you sling and go for a walk liberty?

Some trolleys have baby seats as well if the car seats aren't there handbag. Best of luck!

We survived the supermarket! I used a trolley that you belt the car seat on to. Easy peasy! And he was so good. Now back home having cuddles.

haq that sounds awful, glad you are back home now though.

Hurray for handbag!

Liberty I think our dds are in cahoots they sound so similar!

I have realised that my problem is that I want her to sleep so I can get stuff done. So I either put her in sling (which doesn't help with the catnapping but at least I have hands free) or forget about getting stuff done and go for a lovely long walk with her in the pram. At least if she has a decent sleep she's happier when awake.

I got one of these which has massively helped with her sleeping in her crib and with her self settling. Still not great after night feeds (falls asleep on me, wakes when put in crib, wants dummy, fidgets, loses dummy and repeat) but we'll get there.

Dp and I both a bit shit when tired so we're a bit snappy with each other at the moment if he tells me once more to calm down when I'm perfectly calm just sighing at getting out of bed for the millionth time I will wallop him sex is not on the horizon at the moment. Although maybe that would improve things.

Haquoi sounds like a nightmare journey. I hate it when they are screaming in the car-the reason dd has had a dummy since she was 2 weeks old!

Re diet I am not trying to lose weight and am eating a lot of chocolate and hobnobs but seem to be losing 1kg a week at the moment (I only know because I am doing the scientific weigh self without baby then weigh self with baby to get an idea of babys weight). It's probably all the getting in and out of bed in the night that's doing it! Still have flabby belly and old lady arms though.

I have porridge half milk half water or with nut milk as find it too claggy with all milk. My friend makes it with options hot chocolate.

Well done on supermarket handbag. I have been in for small shops but not done big shop yet. Feel perfectly justified in using ocado every week when I have a small baby (and I don't care that it costs more than when I go to aldi)

Started my 1st period today. My Dr said it would be bad but I was expecting pain bad. Instead no warning, lying in bed, thought I feel damp and it has just started. Used to get terrible cramps. No cramps at all but I'm on my 3rd lot of pants as I've leaked through tampax and liners twice now. Not sure how I will get through the night. Think I will have to use tampax and night towels!

Thanks all, OK day here, still catnaps mainly but she did one whole hour this morning. We've got a sling yes, but she still seems to wake up just as often....! It used to work for prolonging naps but not anymore!

Yay troika it's nice not to be alone! Sounds like yours self settles though! Wow I'd love that, DD seems to be going through a v clingy stage ATM and wants constant holding! She also won't take a dummy/DH is really anti them... Mine also doesn't sleep in the pram, the world is just too exciting so she fights sleep! Is your baby in the same room? Mines in Moses basket in the same room or in bed with us () - she's going to grow out of it soon though and I don't know what we'll do then....our room isn't big enough to side car her cot which is what I'd really like to do!

Haven't had sex yet either. I'm not adverse to it I just don't understand when we'd possibly have time....

Oh rufus that sucks!! How many weeks pp are you? I thought mine was starting but it seems to have stopped, just got a bit when I wiped (sorry tmi!) - any idea?

troika how many months is that babymoov thing meant to last, DD is very long and it says it's on 58cm....

rufus me too I have lots of pain too though

Hi everyone have been catching up, haven't been on for a long time! Everyone sounds like they're doing brilliantly.

I went to a baby group for the first time today and so glad I went as a lot of people from my antenatal group were there so felt like I already knew them in a way which made it easier to chat.

My period returned at 6 weeks and wasn't half as bad as I expected, less painful than usual and thankfully not too heavy

Liberty yes she's in our room. Until last week she was mostly sleeping on me so the self settling and sleeping in crib is very new. I'm lucky that she is quite content to be put down and to watch her mobile for a bit and count my blessings daily- ds would never have done so. Especially lucky as she's number three so has to fit around the other two, I remember the hell of trying to do anything with dd as ds would just scream the second i put him down making it all stressful.

Not sure re the babymoov, one site said 8 months but another said til they can roll onto front. The mat itself is 58cm but the leg bit is attached with velcro and so can be moved down quite a bit. I'll try to measure it at its longest for you.

Thanks troika! DD is def still in the screaming if I put her down phase, hoping she'll grow out of it eventually!

Wow three! I can't imagine!?

9 weeks here. I bought incontinence pants for my c-section and have some left over. Going to wear those tonight as I've already leaked again!