********** December 2006 PART 2 **************

[castlesintheair]

Will this do?

BP, about your neighbour. Maybe now is the time to try and convince her dp that he needs some kind of professonal help. It's so tragic for him and the dcs, not to mention your dd1.

Indith, sounds like a fab holiday. Whereabouts in the lakes where you?

Olihan, yes did see a bfc but she wasn't much help quite frankly. Drat as I don't think anyone else in my area. My ds often feeding every 1.5 hours at present unless I can get him to have a nap, poor lamb is so tired he would go to bed at 6pm if I could manage it, red rimmed eyes & all!
Can't offer advice about your dh, my dp seems relatively happy just cooing to him for 20 mins a time or giving him a bath.

Calm - I felt very guilty when I stopped b/f DD1. Mums seem to feel guilty no matter what they do!

BP - exactly - Maybe we should invent nursing bras with silent clicks

AQ I have the ellaroo. Dp started out using that then switched to a front carrier as he was sweating so much and ds semed to prefer not bing tied up quit so tight for such a long time.

Oli we were in Ennerdale Bridge, pretty close to the coast on the Western side.

BP I really hope your neighbour can get/will accpt some proffessional help soon. Horrible for her kids and yours to be exposed to that.

Thanks for your support guys, I suppose I could keep on at it, but neither of my breastpumps seem to work anymore and I hate it that Ambi gets so stressed and tears actually come flooding from her little eyes...that cant be right,can it?

CR, bf meant to be pleasurable experience for you both, doesn't sound like it is anymore for you. But please don't feel guilty, you've given Amberli the best start, isn't she well over 4 months by now? Healthy, happy, gorgeous baby all your own work
And thanks for all the support messages for me on here & the thread I started elsewhere, I'm feeling much better about it today (no pain!) but I think the time is coming to give up. I have spent all week trying to express every day so I could have a couple of hours off over easter whilst dp had the boys. Managed to get 12oz saved in the freezer, and ds2 took 9 (yes, 9) of them whilst I was out for 2 hours this afternoon. I fed him for half an hour before I left. I suspect dp gives into him every time he so much as squawks but still I see no way to keep up bfing once I return to work even if it's only 1 day a week.

Hi All,

Lots of hugs to all of you having tough times with BF can't realy comment on them though. DS is just a little piggy and cries when he finishes his food. I am making all my own purees and mixing with a bit of cereal and formula for him. He hates swede and carrot but loves my apple and apple and blueberry! Which i had been as organised with DD am saving a fortune!

DS chicken pox are horrendous, he them on a lower eyelid, his lip, roof og his moth, ear and everyhere wlese including his little bits although they dont seem to be bothering him too much - infact if you did'nt see the spots you would'nt know he was poorly - little trooper ! My friend thinks he wont be itchy as babies nerve endings are'nt fully developed yet. But I admit to shedding a tear as I change him as they look so big and angry and some have burst and refilled so are crusty. He has it much worse than DD did! Also he has a lump under one of his ears, about the size of a pea. Am off to the docs tomorrow. A friend said if you tell them it's CP that bring you straight away - fingers crossed!

DD has been playing out side all weekend a has been falling asleep before 7 and sleeping right theough for 12+ hours! I love spring!!

have just had a masive rant on a thread having a go at early weaners - would not be surprised to get kicked of MN for it....but am so cross after all I went through with DS!

Anyway ladies if you sont se me on here anymore you'll know why !

Go you LFM!

That thread has kicked off so badly. I try my best to stay away from the ones like that but I can't help sneaking a look sometimes. Thank god for the unconditional support of ante and post natal clubs!

You've got some nice replies though!

Calm (and AQ)- Guilt is not worth it. Do what makes you and baby happy.

Good lord lfm, they were up until 1 in the morning discussing that! Have just skimmed, and no mention until you did of medical reasons to wean early. Unbelievable really.
Indith, yes I feel nice and safe in here too compared to the other mn world out there where people call you abusive for every little thing. Having said all that I was thinking of weaning a little earlier with ds2 but I'm utterly convinced now not to (although i can't even remember when I did it with ds1). The issue I have is that most people go back to work earlier than 6 months, so if they want to do the weaning rather than leave it to the nursery/cm it's kinda hard. But no way am I posting on that thread!

Milkshake - I had you in mind when I saw that thread and wanted to post on your behalf. But you put it much better than I would have. I am glad they added that there can sometimes be a medical reason why mums would need to wean early.

MN has made me less judgemental in RL, I am sure your posts about DS has done the same for others.

I have been looking at the weaning thread but I haven't got the enery to start

Well ds1 who has never slept more than 2-3 hrs, last night fed at 7pm, Dh gave him some banana and avacado at 8ish. I got home from an hour with my mum and ds1 was asleep on dh. I took him up at 11pm thinking he would wake but he didn't. He eventually woke at 2am!!!! Then at 7am

I know its a one off though

I haven't been on enough to see the weaning thread but sorry that you had a rough time LFM. I would have returned the favor you gave me on the wipes thread if I had seen it in time but it looks like you really didn't need any help from me

Ds2 slept really well last night with one 5 hour stretch then a 3 but I'm like you magnolia, it's probably a one-off and we'll be back to the 2 - 3 hour thing

Have been mainly preoccupied with the fecal impaction of ds1's. Evidently it's going to take at least a week to get his poos normal again - after the enema (not fun for either of us) and then a month or two to "rehabilitate his colon" I had heard of this problem before but it's really something to go through it. Poor baby is back in pull-ups b/c he can't control the seepage. He's being really great about it actually. Much better than I would be to tell you the truth!

I haven't been on enough to see the weaning thread but sorry that you had a rough time LFM. I would have returned the favor you gave me on the wipes thread if I had seen it in time but it looks like you really didn't need any help from me

Ds2 slept really well last night with one 5 hour stretch then a 3 but I'm like you magnolia, it's probably a one-off and we'll be back to the 2 - 3 hour thing

Have been mainly preoccupied with the fecal impaction of ds1's. Evidently it's going to take at least a week to get his poos normal again - after the enema (not fun for either of us) and then a month or two to "rehabilitate his colon" I had heard of this problem before but it's really something to go through it. Poor baby is back in pull-ups b/c he can't control the seepage. He's being really great about it actually. Much better than I would be to tell you the truth!

Morning all.

Milkshake - well done. I skimmed the thread. I have nothing to add because i hate those kind of threads. Only this morning i was thinking of baby rice after DD2 has been up at 1, 4 and 5.30 (still up) . DD2 is now 4 months. I weaned DD1 at 5.5 months and i'm not sure what to do to be honest.

DD1 was up at midnight sick everywhere again so she still isnt over this big from last week. Probably not helped by DH giving her milkshake in the day and then milk at bed time when we normally lay off the dairy after sickness.

Jabber - your DS sounds very brave. Hugs fom me. Poor mite.

Have a good day all.

AQ - 9 oz!
I managed to express enough for the last feed last night for only the 2nd time ever (well, built it up over 2 days), had 7oz prepared, he took 4! so I have a spare 3 oz to start again ready for tonight - yay! must be the twice a day pumping i've started - only aboút 1/2 oz after feeds (sometimes 1 1/2) but at 9pm I got 4oz! yay! So slept 10-1 then woke myself up! then 1-3, ds woke me at 3.30 so I could have had 5 hours sleep in a row but I seem to have trained myself out of being able to sleep for very long . I'd best practice then as long as dh is willing! So night log:
7.30pm bed
8.30pm resettle
11pm feed (dh)
2am nightmares, resettle (dh)
3.30 feed (1 hour)
5.15 resettle
6am resettle
7.20 feed
After 5 difficult nights I feel fairly refreshed after last night

LFM - you did get a rough ride, didn't you? I really hate it when mums attack other mums and make them feel as though they're doing something wrong.

Jabber, so sorry about your LO. What has caused the impaction? Poor wee mite, he sounds ever so brave, much more than I would be

I'm so sorry for all of you who are having problems at night. Not wishing to gloat but DD2 is sleeping through the night, and has been for a couple of weeks. I don't put her down early, which may explain it. Last night she went into her cot at 10:00 and didn't stir until I woke her at 7:00 to relieve the pressure in my breasts! Wish I could say the same about DD1. She has never slept through the night, and last night was awake 4 or 5 times with nightmares, crying and just wanting to chat. So I'm not enjoying long nights

Hum every 1-1.5 hours last night. Not feeding much in the day though which doesn't help. Think there will be some skin to skin snuggles to combat that. He is currently asleep having been up since 6.15 after having a very short feed, his first feed since about 4 or 5am!

Still the plus point seems to he has learned to do day time naps (ish)

I just don't know what to do with him really he is a great sleeper (settles himself, rare dummy use etc) just a heavy feeder iykwim. His longest stretch is always the first one from 7pm onwards but I really don't want to lose that bedtime, plus I think th lakes showed that going to bed later doesn't really mean a later long stretch.

your poor ds1 jabber

Cor, loads to read. Sorry to hear about DS1 Jabber. Hope he's feeling better soon.

Had a brill time at the seaside but it went too fast and I feel completely knackered! I miss my DH soooooo much

Gazillions to do and then off to my mum tomorrow. Keeps the LOs happy (and her) just drives me bonkers. DD2 being an absolute star. I keep wondering what I am doing right

I've got a surveyor coming round to the house today...

I've just been reading the mammoth weaning thread too and saw your posts LFM - I started at 17 wks on the advice of my hv as dd has reflux and has been extremely slow to gain weight (98th centile down to just above the 9th). A week and a half in I have a different baby - she loves solids and wolfs down everything I give her (despite giving it AFTER she has breastfed so that I don't reduce the milk she takes in too much). The breastfeeding is also much improved as she is more comfortable generally - I haven't had screaming during a feed for nearly a week . We're taking it slowly and sticking to babyrice/carrot/banana/apple etc but I don't regret it for a second. I don't like feeling I have to keep justifying my actions all the time.

Thanks all for your support about the wenaning thread - honestly if you had seen me last night I had steam coming from my ears! All better now and much more calm!

Took DS to GP today about lump behind under his ear. GP - another older booming voice lovely man - who DS really liked and gave lots of smiles. GP said he had never seen pox in such a young baby and was shocked to see how bad it was. He assumed I had not had it but told him I got it when I was 18. But he said for DS to be smililing so much he can't be feeling too bad. Also said the lump was a swollen gland and just keep an eye on it after pox goes.

Also I was feeling a bit raw after the weaning thing and told GP as have not discussed it with him yet. He said "I'll tell you a secret, my wife and I weaned both ours with fruit at 5 weeks old" How big was my smile?? I said thank you to him for telling me that and he laughed

Well, just as I thought, ds2 was back to snacking every two hours last night. Still I feel better getting some rest on Sunday night.

As far as DS1, the dr. said that he is at the perfect age (3.7) and circumstance (new baby in the house) to get one. Apparently when they get constipated and it builds up they begin to poo a bit around it and it just gets worse. The funny thing is, I don't remember him not pooing, i.e. being constipated. I do feel guilty about the whole thing though as I have been thinking for quite a while that his poo was not looking right. Dh had started doing bathroom "wipe" duty much more often and had been telling me it was OK every time I asked. But then I thought, how could it be OK with him and not OK with me? Perhaps dh is just not paying attention, hmmm? So finally I just took him in as it went from soft stools to quite loose. The doctor could actually feel the impaction with her (gloved) finger . Ds2 has been quite brave throughout. Am a bit worried that we are in for major potty training regression after it's done, but mainly just will be relieved when he has a normal poo again!

x-posts, LFM. I'm so glad the GP had a reassuring story for you Your little ds has been so much happier since starting on solids that it must be the right thing for him. People tend to forget that babies are after all individuals and have varying needs.

Jabber, DS had awful constipation after MMR booster jabs at about the same age as your DS! Both he & DD1 were constipated after them at the same time (no link according to the GP I think not!). Anyway, he was in agony for about 2 weeks and leaking (the stool hardens and liquid seeps out, sorry if TMI). Your DS's sound's worse (and has been going on for longer) but we gave him Califig & eventually DH took him to the GP and he prescibed lactulose to soften the stool. Flood-gates opened eventually and he's been fine since. He was also recently potty-trained at the time and we had no set-backs, so don't worry about that. I think once they are "done" it's like riding a bike so to speak.