April 2017 babies

[Cuppaqueen]

Anybody out there?!

I couldn't see an April 2017 thread so I thought I'd start one

My little boy is 6 weeks old today! It's hard to believe it's so little time when life before him already feels like a distant memory. I never realised I could love so fast, so utterly. He's taken over our lives but we don't mind. We love holding him, watching the expressions flit across his face. Marvelling as he seems to get bigger every day. And his explosive nappies have given us some of the best laughs! We've both been shat on - in fact, yesterday we had to carry him nappy dripping across the floor to change him after he did a HUGE poo 😂 which I think was a sign to upgrade him to the next nappy size!!

We have had some tough days especially when he gets colic - is anyone else dealing with that? He can cry for hours, poor little man, and it gives him reflux too so my shoulder's crampy from hoisting him around on it. We gave in and got a dummy, which sometimes helps but still end up with a series of feed, shoulder, comfort, rock, settle, doze, cry, dummy, shoulder, comfort, feed etc etc. Luckily only seems to be a few days a week for maybe half a day or so. And he still sleeps at night mostly. Currently working on extending his night sleep - we got 3.5 hours and then 3 hours last night so I feel remarkably chipper today. Looking forward to my 6 week postpartum check so I can get back to some exercise. I seem to live on biscuits just now and none of my pre-pregnancy jeans fit yet.

Love to hear how everyone else is getting on!

Almost 7 weeks here but 3 weeks early. Was small baby 5lbs 5oz but piling on the weight.

Not as settled as my 1st. Currently have him on top of me as he's just not settled. Grunting and snorting etc.

I love my sleep. I'm finding last few days tough. My dh was away. He did 1st half tonight but I got up then as he's also wrecked.

But I love the bones of this Lil boy and his expressions and sounds and at last some smirks!

Hi! 6 weeks and 2 days here-he is wonderful! My lb also gets colic, please get some infacol it is amazing, and it has stopped our baby being in so much pain

Oh, I love the smirking! My DS has started grinning at me but only when he's in a VERY good mood and never when my camera is to hand...

Music we've got infacol - definitely helps get his wind up during/after feeds but not the sudden bursts of crying that seem to come out of nowhere 😕 We're trying Colief but a major faff to express milk for it each time before BF.

Hi everyone, my DD is 4 weeks today, was a week early and as this is my first it's been a shock to the system. We only have wind smiles and cannot wait to see her smile properly.

The last week has been the hardest as she was so clingy. She is currently asleep in her pram so it feels like a win right now.

I'm struggling to get her to burp and she is sick after every feed, sometimes a small amount, never her full bottle, the health visitor is coming today so I'm going to mention baby gaviscon, and ask her advice has anyone else used it?

Hey iCoCo, never used baby Gaviscon but have had similar challenges trying to get my lo to burp. As well as high on my shoulder, the other move that worked for us (which I heard about on MN) was getting him in the upright burping position on my leg i.e. palm on chest, fingers supporting chin, and then leaning him gently forward and rotating his upper body clockwise while keeping his bottom in the same place on my leg. We got some spectacular burps that way! Also that move followed by straight up onto the shoulder.

DS spits up milk after virtually every feed but it mostly doesn't bother him and certainly hasn't affected his weight gain

cuppa thank you for the advice. I will try the rotating. I saw the figure of 8 on another forum but that doesn't work as well now. Today has been slightly better sick wise, but not so good on the crying, I blame the heat today.
We are about to be brave and pop out for a walk (maybe stop at a beer garden). Other than supermarkets and boots this will be my first trip out with the pram as I feel as though my stitches have healed and the bruising has gone now.

Hope everyone has a great evening and it's not too horrendous for the babies tonight in the heat.

Hi, My little girl is 7 weeks today. She is pretty good apart from the fact that I can't get her to sleep much in the day. I spent most of today trying to get her to sleep. Then my partner comes home from work and in 5 minutes she's gone. Just makes you feel inadequate.

Yay we have an April thread!! I lurked on the antenatal thread and found it really useful, was sad to see there wasn't an April postnatal thread yet so have been watching the March postnatal thread for what might be coming up soon....

Previous first baby, coming up to 6 weeks.

Son is currently in cot next to me looking peaceful and angelic while making the noises of a seriously wild animal / dinosaur

He'll go down in his pram or cot but only really if sleeping or seriously tired, seems this is okay while still little but will need to work on putting him down sleepy rather than asleep later on.

He'll stay asleep for about 2.5-3-3.5hrs (naps about 45min-1.5hr) occasionally I've had to wake him at the 4hr mark - we had initial weight loss of just over 10% but he's back over birth weight now, need to ask my HV if should still wake at 4hrs to feed if he hasn't already, NHS site indicates do need to but know not everyone does this.

He has a serious startle reflex, have found the Love to Dream Swaddle Ups brilliant as he likes his arms up and the swaddle sorts his jumpiness out.

A tracking app has also been really useful to track his nappies, feeds and sleep. Also learning about the 45min sleep cycles and that they shouldn't be awake at this age for more than 60-90mins - we weren't spotting the sleep cues before, although sometimes you can do everything and they still do whatever they want to do!

He gets serious trumps and makes such a huge drama out of them, poor soul, he gets winded well but still gets them. Is fine otherwise and have been told that what he's doing is normal, he's fine once they're out

Just popping on to say happy weekend.

I'm loving reading all your experiences and I Can honestly say this has been the hardest 5 weeks ever but DD is adorable and the lack of sleep is worth it. I've even stopped saying she will be an only child. (I have not mentioned this to DH as he still thinks I'm a hormonal tornado)

I wasn't going to begin a routine for a while but have been reading some blogs about starting early and thought shit, I've missed my chance, but for 2 nights she has self soothed to sleep and then only woken once in the night. Small wins and hoping it continues.

I'm a knowledge freak really and I didn't study for the hardest test of my life, motherhood. I hate all the conflicting advice, it began in TTC then pregnancy and i cannot see it is going to get any better. I've been looking on Amazon for a development book, Does anyone have any recommendations?

Hello April Mummies! DD is 6 weeks 3 days today and despite a spectacular spew mid morning, we've had a nice day full of smiles

Oh and iCoCo check out this book - I've found it useful for both DC.

www.amazon.co.uk/Your-Baby-Week-ultimate-caring/dp/0091910552

That's great, thank you hlbug

Agree so much is conflicting advice iCoCo! You only have to look at some of the threads on here to see the different views, some at complete opposite ends of the spectrum! I try to take most stuff with a pinch of salt and tinker with it so it works for us/baby
We've only just started a night routine with feed, bath, feed, bed. Baby does seem to go down better with eyes open and drift off with a white noise app.
Does anyone's baby have a white tongue? I think it's milk tongue rather than thrush, my boobs are fine and I can't see any other white spots or bits in his mouth, just the tongue. Haven't tried to brush any of it off yet as he's a bit cranky this morning

Hi! My DD is 6 weeks today Nice to see an April thread!

White tongue here too and my DS was the same, just milk in our case! Poor mite is just having to fit in around 2 year old DS's routine at the moment, but seems to be coping. Lots of clumsy toddler affection at inopportune moments...

Oh, also, we used infant Gaviscon with DS when he was newborn for horrific reflux and it worked, but was also a bit of a nightmare to get into him (BF, would be easier if FF I think) and also caused awful constipation- just something to bear in mind.

Honestly, at a certain point (Christmas morning, as it happens) we were up at 4 in the morning bicycling his legs and wondering which was worse

But on balance, it was probably worth it for him, just depends how upset your LO is about the reflux

How are we all doing? We have the dreaded jabs tomorrow eeek!

Fingers crossed for the jabs suzy. I'm up for the night feed, I'm lucky I generally only have one, but praying I'm even luckier and get a through the night sleeper soon.

17 weeks now for us! Hope you're all doing well with your DCs !