February 2016 - our babies are here!

[IslaMann]

New group for those graduating the ante-natal thread

Ah thank you cud.

Similar story here chinchilla, getting to sleep for the night has become a daily battle. Hope it is the leap cud referenced and we return to a better (for me! ) sleep pattern soon....

Clumsy we have been on 5-6bottles for a while. Usually 5 but he takes 6 a couple of times a week.

We're still on 7 bottles a day - sometimes 6 but usually 7. He was only taking 4ozs a time until last week, when getting over a cold, he suddenly started taking 5ozs or sometimes even 6. He's growing a lot at the moment but I am looking forward to the feeds dropping off a little - he's like an alarm every 3hrs during the day.

We're having to move over to mix feeding at the moment, as well as the sleep regression & extending waking periods, desire to roll !

She's kind of grazing and dozing between 5 and 7/7.30am. Then 4-5 feeds during the day, two of which are now formula, and having about 150-200 ml each time. Once we've fully transitioned to two bfs a day, with the rest formula, and she's settled, we'll see where we are. Naps are currently every 1.45-2 hours for 45 mins.

I'm really trying a very consistent nap routine here - instead of just letting her sleep on me! I'm trying walking round singing a lullaby twice as a sleep signal, close one curtain so it's a bit darker but not dark dark, then rock in arms with white noise on and snuggle her up to a comforter then put in cot when half asleep and try and resettle in there by patting etc! Managed two naps so far this way today!! Exhausting though!

Which is more important - total length of day naps - they're meant to have about 3 hours at 4 months right? - or learning to settle in her own bed?

Is the above going to help her learn to self settle do we think? Thanks

Liberty, I think it's more about what keeps them and you happy. When the babies are teenagers they will self settle and get enough sleep. So at sometime between now and then these things will fall into place. Which one is more important is down to whether you want to put them down without any fuss, or get more sleep for them.

Your routine sounds very complicated to me, but I am lucky and DS will fall asleep at the drop of a hat. It's definitely not self settling, but if you're happy to do it and it works then there's no problem with it.

As for time asleep each day, I really wouldn't know how much sleep DS gets. Today he's been awake less than 3hrs and has been asleep on me since lunchtime. I'm poorly though and enjoying the cuddles. Some days it feels he barely sleeps because we're out and about or his grandparents have him all hyped up or just because he's being grumpy.

Probably not being that helpful, but trying to relive some of the pressure you're feeling. 3hrs sleep a day at 4m sounds very arbitrary - you might find it easier to go with the flow. As for self settling only you can decide if that's more or les important to the two of you than hours spent asleep.

Sorry, just re-read. 'Definitely not self settling' probably isn't going to land how I meant it, sorry.

What I meant was that there's lots of things here you're using to get the baby to sleep and you might finding difficult to keep up. For example if you were at a friends during nap time could you keep all of this going?

Thanks handbag - yeah I know it's more that I want her to have some signal to fall asleep! Currently she would literally stay awake 24 hours a day if I let her! She has NEVER just fallen asleep, not since the very early sleepy days! So in order for her to sleep I have to do something or she'd be SO overtired....

Relieved to hear I'm not the only one with sleep issues, but sorry for all of you too.

Dd had her tongue tie snipped two weeks ago. Breastfeeding seems to be going much better but she's refused a bottle since having it done.

2nd jabs turned her grumpy, and she's still grumpy a week later.

She's forgotten how to nap which doesn't help the grumpiness. Spends most of the day overtired and crying. Can get her to sleep in car, sometimes in pram. But she wakes as soon as I stop, or sometimes just because. Still going to bed beautifully in the evening though, although at the moment she seems to want to go to bed between 6 and 7 which just isn't possible with the older dc and dinner etc so am dragging her out til 8. But then she's waking twice an hour for most of the night. Aaargh! Mostly just wants her dummy and a shush but this is not sustainable. I probably am going to her too soon because I don't want dp driving all day on not enough sleep so tend to go to her not at first squeak but when grumbling starts to turn to crying and she risks waking him. And actually as the night goes on I sometimes do go at first squeak to pop the dummy back in just so I can try to get to sleep quicker rather than listen to her for 15 mins before getting up

I think last night she had 3 feeds. Maybe 4. Normally it's still been just 1 or 2 in the night.

Haquoi&liberty I haven't forgotten I'm meant to be sending you stuff. So sorry for the delay...

No worries troika

Gosh this sleep regression really must be a thing as we are all experiencing changed behaviour when it comes to sleep! The main change for us is bedtime for now is now 9pm rather than 7pm. We should swap babies troika!

I should have probably given amounts with my bottles or it makes no sense it context! Currently giving 7 oz/210ml in each bottle. During the 12 week growth spurt he drank 13oz in one sitting without bringing any back up. Must be a world record, but thankfully only a one off or I'd need to remortgage my house to pay for the formula!!!!

Yeah, the regression... I do NOT want to talk about last night. God knows how we'll cope when OH takes over night duties after next week on his own...

Yup it's hit here too, only 1 hour nap today and still not asleep, to top it off just got pooed on by a bird when I took him for a walk to try and get him to drop off

What are these babies playing at????
Really hope it passes soon but not feeling confident...

I thought being pooed on by a bird was lucky? Although that could just be one of those daft ideas because it's grim to be pooed on.

My mum has been here this week which has actually been nicer than I expected as she usually drives me mad!. She went to bury grandads ashes on Wednesday so maybe the day off hosting helped. And to be fair it was nice not to have to do bedtime solo and she is good with the boys which means a few jobs have been done. and dh and i went out for dinner last night It's nice to have the place to ourselves again now though

Shame babycud has been a nap refusing grump but you can't have everything. We're battling to get some shut eye after a couple of hours awake but getting less than 30 minute naps. And we have started some days at 4am so glad we're still getting some sleep at the beginning of the night at the moment.

I wouldn't worry too much about total amount of sleep liberty it's just not possible to make them stay asleep. I spent ages trying to achieve 'enough' with ds1 and it was time wasted tbh so this time I am just trying to avoid overtired screaming but not worrying beyond that. Likewise I'm not worrying about self settling. Sometimes babycud drops off on his own, but more often there is a massive palava! For me I am just doing whatever is easiest at any given time.

Happy Friday folks!

No worries troika!

We had four hours of screaming and chatting despite an obviously exhausted baby the night before last and then DH poised me off so I didn't go to bed until 1.30am. Sometimes a debrief is more important than sleep. Managed to have a nap with him yesterday for an hour and then my mum came round as DH was gigging and we walked around the nature reserve and then into town to get a takeaway at 10pm! Baby didn't sleep in the pram but was happy and finally went to sleep with no fuss in his own bed at midnight. So basically late night strolls are key!

liberty I've been wondering if I should give baby a routine but chatted to my mum about it - she worked all hours and sometimes I would be only getting home at midnight. I don't think a routine is something DH or I could sustain once works kicks in again so I'm going to continue to be baby led... Nap times during the day are baby led, mainly pram and car or arms. He fell asleep in the sling yesterday!!! And he changes every day.

handbag I have to say your advice was beautifully put, it helped me, thank you!

chinchilla a better night last night for you?

cud having family to help us brilliant isn't it, especially if they actually help! We've been inundated this half term with all factions of the family, it's been lovely but hard work.

Scratch that, baby needs a routine! :s 6 hours of on/off screaming yesterday before finally sleeping at midnight. Gah!

He's not very well today - slightly high temp and a cough. I'm waiting a call back from 111. Poor boy. We're supposed to have first swimming lesson and jabs tomorrow :(

Oh no haq hope he feels better soon!

We took ds swimming for the 2nd time yesterday he is starting to be a bit more confident in the pool and coped with scooping him in and out of the water getting his face wet. Going to try and take him every week. Dd loved playing in the water with him too off out for a picnic later making the most of the nice weather, just need to make the jerk chicken and mango salsa wraps

Sounds delish clumsy! Hope you enjoyed. We went to a friends for scrummy bbq yesterday and even managed a successful transfer from pram to cot when we got home around 11pm, bonus!

This hot weather is amazing although ds is living in vests so is not getting to wear all the nice outfits people have bought him! He is growing so fast we will be in 6-9 months before we know it!

Thanks clumsy. He's doing much better, DH and just freaked out a little! His cough seems to be evolving which in putting down to healing but he's much better otherwise. How was the picnic? sounds delicious!

Awesome about the transfer clara! It's blooming hot here too, baby was in nappy only yesterday and just a vest at night. We had thunder storms (I got soaked trying to bring washing and everything in from the garden) which has helped the humidity, but not by much!

Picnic was awesome and we all had leftovers for lunch yesterday

Glad ds is feeling batter haq and well done clara on the transfer.

Does anyone have any idea how to cool down the house it's been going up to 28 degrees in the living room and it's just too hot for ds to sleep during the day. We have fans and covered the windows in reflective stuff to try and stop the sun coming in too much. Trying to avoid spending £££ on air con so any ideas would be great.

Hello! Sleeping baby so thought I'd pop on to see what's going on. So quiet! Hope everyone's enjoying the heat.

Teething is in force right now - don't think any things going to come through imminently but he's very grizzly and his gums are hard and tight. Bonjella to the rescue!

Baby sensory started up properly yesterday - DS fell asleep during the last activity! There was a blow up mattress with fleece blankets and silky material on it. We put the babies down for tummy time on it. DS rubbed his face on the silky material and started dozing. Amazing. He's the youngest in the group, which is 7 babies, but only by a couple of weeks.

We've had to move him into 3-6m clothes this weekend, and actually there's not a lot of room in them! He's really long rather than heavy, although he's piled on the weight in the past month. Last week he was 14lbs 3ozs, more than double his birth weight (at 15 weeks). The stuff I bought for the summer is all shorts and rompers so I'm enjoying seeing his chubby legs!

Conjunctivitis is fun, isn't it? He's now had it in both eyes this week, but he seems over it today. Just in time for my mum to wake up with it in both her eyes! Amazing. I seems to have got away with it. Lots of cooled boiled water did the trick. DH was keen for me to go to the doctor, and we got given some drops but told not to use them until 4/5 days had passed. We haven't needed them so they're in the cupboard for next time, unopened.

Sorry for the rambling! Hopefully off to the supermarket once DS wakes up and has his bottle. Life is so exciting these days!

How is everyone?

Just spent an hour and ahalf deep cleaning kitchen!

Aww handbag at baby falling asleep!

clara how have you found the time??

Bubs and I are both on my bed, painkiller-ed up - he's got a terrible cough and I'm most unimpressed by this crappy cold. In this heat as well! I was going to put bubs in a crèche today for the first time but had to cancel. Blergh

Hey all. Been visiting family, and looking after my Mum as she was in hospital Friday with a nasty infection.

Now got a few days off before back at work on Monday, can't believe it Will go to the beach tomorrow and the do a little clothes shopping Friday.

Just got to bob off, will be back shortly!

DD seems to have settled a little easier in the evening over the past two nights. It was bloody tough at my Mum's, as it was an unfamiliar place and utterly roasting on top of the 4 month regression. No ideas on how to cool it down clumsy, wish I knew!

We seem to have pre teething stuff too handbag. We've had to start with the bibs as she's drooling so much, and I can see the bottom two central teeth buds under her gums.

Good luck back at your work chinchilla! !

Haq baby was in pram sleeping for some of it then he watched me from his bouncy chair for the rest. He is fascinated in everything at the moment, even cleaning!

Currently on second attempt at getting him down for the night. He's just drifted off into dream sleep and is smiling/chuckling in his sleep, so cute!