Jan '07: Finally, we can reach to cut our toenails, see to groom our ladygardens, and have norks the size of norway. Shame we're too tired to give a damn!

[2Happy]

Hmmm, hope it's not too long a title!

Lth I think Hattie must have nightmares about cameras as she seems to always have one flashing in her face and it startles her every time we have had a few smiles but mainly at my mum

Ellie slept through from 8 weeks as I remember it was the day she had her 1st set of jabs and I thought I had overdosed her on calpol. Hatties first set of jabs booked for 2 week today so hers keeping my fingers crossed it works for her

I don't think my DS is ever going to sleep through! Though I can't complain as he has a 'routine' of around 4 hours sleep so DH and I do one night feed each which allows the other a good stretch of sleep. Last night it was 1am and 5am so it is not too bad. He just doesn't seem able to progress from his 4oz bottles at the moment and I don't think he will sleep through until he is taking more.

I must say though, I do seem to have a miserable baby. He cries all the time unless he is asleep or feeding. I seem to spend all of his 'awake' time trying to pacify him - he just never seems happy. I had one 'smile' yesterday but the rest of the time he is too busy with a quivering bottom lip to smile. I have tried everything - any suggestions or does he just not like me?? Is it something he will grow out of?

Loubie - big sympathies. Everything seems 10 times worse with no sleep and 10 times worse in the night. Could anyone else maybe have him for a night for you or come and stop and deal with him in the night so you can get some sleep? I know you are BF but do you express?

Lizz - chocolate - afraid not, I'm being good. I look like a sack of spuds in all my clothes and am desperate to trim up - plus I have three weddings this year (first one in May). 13lbs to go...
BF uses up loads of calories doesn't it(?) which is why you will be craving sweet stuff methinks. Enjoy it while you can!! Have a bar of Dairy Milk for me

wilkie my friend had this with her lo,he does love you honestly even though i know at times it doesnt feel like it. she ended up taking her to see a cranial osteopath around 6/7weeks old who did some massaging on her tummy/head apparently she had a slightly enlarged liver which meant that she had silent reflux she went every week for 6 weeks and he gave her massages/tips etc and after the 1st session she slept for 6 hours and was contented when she woke and after 6 weeks she was a different child. Might be a coincedence but i have heard lot of good things about osteopathy and babies.

Hattie still on 4oz bottles to she'll drain 4 of the 6 she has but when i made 5oz bottles she just leaves it so think i'll wait till shes 8 weeks and try again. At the mo she has feeds at 6.30am,10.30am,2.30pm,6.30pm, bed at 7pm, dreamfeed at 10ish and then she'll wake around 2.30-3am. IIRC ellie dropped the 2.30am feed around 8/9weeks and then she woke at 6am. By 12 weeks we started twaeking the dreamfeed by 15mins each night and at 18weeks she had started solids and would have her last feed at 7 and be in bed from 7 till 6

tweaking not twaking

Thanks EAH that's really helpful - Hattie is a tiny bit older than J too I think? He is 6 weeks on Fri. We did a dreamfeed last night at 9pm and he slept till 1am. He is always very very grizzly between 7pm-8.30pm so we never try and put him down then as both DH and I end up stressed as J just screams. We don't have 'definate' times as he fluctuates between 3-4hrs between feeds. Seems to be less time between during the day.

Wilkie - thanks for the kind words I'm not BFing tho, you must have me mixed up with someone else? I know the MIL would jump at the chance of having Ben overnight but she'd only be able to do it at weekends as she works full time, and tbh I'm not ready to leave him yet....I've only been without him twice so far and both times he was with DH while I was in bed asleep, DH took him out in the car once and for a walk in his pram yesterday

I'm feeling much better today, had a good night last night - I can cope with anything during the day if I get some decent sleep at night! He woke at 1:45am and then went back to sleep until 6:15am which isn't too bad. I'm going to get some colief today to see if that helps...his tummy sounds like a dodgy central heating boiler sometimes it's that loud!

My older 2 are off school this week for half term which is great, having someone else around to hold him while I get on with jobs (They're 15 and 13 and are always arguing about who's turn it is to feed him etc, long may it last!!)

loubie sorry forgot to say hope you had abetter night glad you managed to catch up on the sleep and have got your helping hands there.

Wilkie Hattie is a week older than J as she'll be 7 weeks this friday, have you tried a swinging chair we borrowed one for ellie and lucky enough our friends told us to keep it it was a godsend for ellie as her stroppy time used to be 4-6 and i used to put her in it on low setting in front of the simpsons (she always liked that) and i think she thought someone was rocking her. I have just got it out of the loft for Hattie as she is grizzly around that time which is when I am trying to cook and supervise ellies dinner (she needs supervision or food ends up on the chair/floor anywhere but her mouth unless its her favourite dinner)don't know if you know anyone that you'll be able to borrow one to try it out?

Hattie having a nap so ellie and i just made chocolate cornflake cakes as my 8month preganant friend and her little 2yr girl (ellie best friend) coming for a playdate this afternoon whilst we talk about our holiday e have just booked, we went to spain with them last year but doing butlins this year as we'll both have 2/3 yr olds and babies!

Ohhh wilkie, you make me feel sad when you say "does he even like me", of course he does....you're his world, you're everything to him.

Try the cranial thingy, I know lots of people who have had huge success with that. I'm very lucky and have placid baby who settle reasonable well but in the times when they aren't happy I can see how hard it would be.

Has he had any success with a dummy? george loves his but also love having a blanket wrapped loosely around him so it softly touches both side of his head. When I'm holding him he'll twist and turn his head until he's burrowed(sp??) right into the crook of my arm with the blanket either side.

Also another trick I do is if he is abit fretful I very gently stroke down his forehead onto his nose, right to the tip. It makes them close their eyes and if you do it for long enough they fall asleep because their eyes are shut and the tickly feeling is sooo nice. All 4 ds's have fallen asleep when I do that so I know it work.

In a few week I'm sure you'll look back at tlest early week and breath a sigh of relief, Jacob will be a happy smily chocolate button munching baby in no time

aaaw i can remember dd1's face when she had her 1st chocolate button, squeals and arms flying everywhere

I couldn't live without dummies. Its the only thing which makes him stop screaming when he goes into one about nothing in particular.
Also, I find "shhhing" whilst stroking his head with a fluffy cuddly toy really settles him to.
My LO has an inbuilt alarm clock, he feeds every 3 hours on the dot. Occassionally he may do a four hour stint, but I am gagging for a sleep which lasts longer than 2 hours at a time. He is just over 4 weeks at the moment, and at 6 wks I'm going to introduce a formula feed last thing at night, as apparently they sleep longer then (a bit anyway)
I've found that singing to him can raise a bit of a smile...especially when I do my Amy Winehouse impression, and sing her rehab song over and over again. He seems to enjoy that, although he maybe humouring me. Then, I put the cd on repeat on that song for about 20 times whilst I had a shower. I think my neighbours hate me!

lizz just looked at the pic on your profile how cute is that pic

Just had Ethan weighed and he's now 11lb 7oz at 5 weeks hehe, 6 weeks old on Thursday. He does eat a lot though and is still fully breastfed so I'm really pleased at how good his weight gain is. I plan to keep exclusively breastfeeding for at least 6 months, definitely no food before then, and then baby led weaning but I don't plan on stopping breastfeeding until he's ready.

What's a dreamfeed???
Just tried the stroking forehead down to tip of nose tip and screaming Ellen turned into sleeping Ellen. Today is first time I've tried feeding her and using laptop at same time (I'm a bit slow sometimes)

Wilkie my old neighbours came round too and brought some chavvy trainers that Ellen willnever wear and a scratchy horrid pram blanket (also going to back ofcupboard). They also offered to take Ellen off my hands for an hour but I had to say no, not ready to do that yet and certainly not with people I don't know that well. Thety are both half deaf too so not really a great combo.

BF problems are nearly banished (Vino crosses her fingers and hopes)after seeing someone at the hospital on fri who patiently helped me latch her on and off for an hour.

Lizz - I am eating tons of extra large grest to share fruit and nut bars but DH not getting many squares!

Glad it worked vinourge.

I love watching their eyes get sleeper and sleeper[smeil]

BTW, dreamfeed is when you latch them on/feed them wehn they're asleep so that it makes them sleep a little longer before the next feed is due IYSWIM.

I think it's that anyway....

hi everyone
sorry not got time to read all the messages but just wanted to say that Wilkie - you are not alone! reason I never have time to catch up here is because I am always carrying DS2 around, if he's awake then he's crying. I am taking him to cranial osteopath on wed but I'm pretty sure it's related to feeding.

my thread here might make you feel as though you are not alone

It's crap though isn't it. This week is half term and today poor DS1 has spent the whole time playing by himself while I try to stop DS2 from crying/try to get him to sleep for longer than 10 mins. It's very depressing.

Wilkie - my LO had a spell a week ago when he was SO miserable I didn't know what to do with him at all. He'd just cry whenever he wasn't asleep or feeding. But it only lasted about 2/3 days and then just got over it! So I hoped yours does the same. I've also heard great things about cranial osteopathy, so Id definitely give that a try if he goes on being so cranky! I find any type of bouncing/vibrating movement really calms my DS down. Bouncey chairs don't really do the trick, but going in a car, taking him over a bumpy pavement in the pram or holding him and bouncing on my yoga ball all calm him down and send him to sleep without fail.

Getting a bit worried by the amount the little guy seems to want to eat though! He's 6 wks today and has been on 5oz for a few days and already seems to be wanting more! He feeds every 3 hours during the day and about every 4 through the night - no chance of sleeping through when he's so hungry all the time I'm afraid. I really think he'd be happy taking more but is 6oz really too much for a 6 wk old? Jodie - why do you say definitely no food before 6 months?? I thought babies could start some solids by 4 months?

Shimmer - 3 hours between feeds in teh day and 4 at night is really good at 6 weeks.

RGee - hope you're feeling better about the feeding. Just want to say that there's absolutly NO point in feeling guilty about not b/feeding if that's what's best for you!!! I went through exactly the same thing as you seem to be a few weeks ago - didn't seem to be satisfying LO at all and had VERY painful cracked nipples - moved to topping up with formula and eventually completely switched. I felt horrible and really guilty and cried for several days straight about the whole thing...but then got used to it and was happy that bubs was finally happy too and sleeping well and putting on weight. If you manage to carry on with the b/feeding/expressing that's really great, but if you don't DON'T WORRY and just look forward to having stress free feeding. And I have to say having my normal boobs back again has definitely helped get me more in the mood for getting back to business with DP!!

Shimmer breastfed babies should be at least 6 months as it can cause allergies and other problems. Bottlefed I think it's still 4 months as formula and breastmilk contain different things and so bottlefed babies could need to extra food/nutrients sooner. They really don't nee anything before 6 months. My ds1 was a big baby and ate a lot but he didn't need any food until 6 months, he was over the 91st centile as well.

Also Shimmer I'd give baby as much as he wants really, I'm feeding on demand and sometimes he eats lots more than other times. I've fed him from the breast and then he's been given a bottle of breastmilk and 10 mins later he's wanted another breastfeed. They soon lose any fat once they start getting on the move. Ds1 was a chunky baby but soon lost it once he started crawling and walking.

the way DS2 is at teh moment - I'd much rather still be pregnant! It was a lot easier.

I plan on BF until I get properly skinny! And can make everyone jealous with my fabulous figure!!! (lol! )
My LO stops screaming like a banshee when a. is put in the baby bath (its like being back in the womb man [hippy dippy emoticion!}) or b. as soon as he is put in the carseat or in the buggy he goes out like a light!
Does anyone have any tips to help new Dads bond with their LOs?

Crikey, KR, things must be terrible if you're saying that No great suggestions, but lots of sympathy.
ds1 used to do the evening grizzle thing, ds2 does his a bit later - usually just when we're trying to get ds1 to sleep, so I'll be trying the nose-stroking thing tonight!
dh's first proper day back at work today. Can't believe how different it was with ds1 - spent the morning in tears wanting dh back, and remember running to loo just before dh left as I didn't know how I'd mange going when on my own with ds! ha ha ha! still can't lift ds1 so he's been at CM's leaving me on my own with ds2, and frankly it's been like a holiday!
ds2 seems to have finished his 2 week growth spurt, so my poor boobs are horribly confused!
Did anyone see the news today about tv and kids? I never wanted ds1 to watch tv, but have to say I've been relying on it when heavily pg and now with ds2 and after the cs. I am a Bad Mother

Oh and chocolate - yup eating more than when pg! Very bad, but was already back to pre-pg weight by the end of last week, so not stressing. (Before you all lynch me, am not pre-pg shape, was still carrying ds1 weight when got pg, and have lost lots of muscle while pg so it's all fat, so it's not really as good as it sounds!)