May 2017 #16 Sleep deprivation, mumnesia and first smiles

[crazyzooo]

New thread to celebrate the small things (like first smiles and eating steak with one hand), commiserate over the less fabulous stuff (poonamies, vomit eruptions and wind spring to mind) and someone to talk to at 4am

Lots of hand sucking here too. Her lower gums are bulging slightly but sure it'll be months before teeth actually come through.

Last night wasn't as bad as I feared - she didn't feed at all from 11pm till this morning and slept other than an hour of crying when I had to walk her around. She feels a bit cooler so hopefully we're over the worst.

It's horrible having to wait so long for an appointment Mighty, maybe you can phone for a cancellation spot if you're worried, might have to phone every day though.

I carried DS on my back a fair bit after 6 months, they feel lighter there. It's a balancing act to get them on without dropping them though! I would put my phone camera on selfie mode to check on him every few minutes if he was quiet.

That's good @Acorncat - we don't seem to have had any reactions to yesterday's jabs yet except for a monster nap yesterday afternoon and this morning. Which is very welcome as in I've actually got stuff done!

My hair is starting to fall out. It has happened at roughly 4 or 5 months each time so maybe a bit early. But it's quite scary seeing so much on my hairbrush or in the shower. It always grows back in a few months though. The joys, eh?

@teainbed my hair is so curly that I only brush it when I wash it. I definitely had less hair loss in pregnancy and it's going up a bit now but it's hard to keep track of. But I'm fairly sure the hair on my arms is disappearing!

@jennymac31 hope the jabs went ok and baby mac isn't too grumpy

Naturebond is brilliant, 50 ml this morning in one go without trying that's more than I got in one pumping session

@Acorncat glad baby acorn is doing better today 😊

@teainbed hang on, hair coming out? That's something else no one warned me about 😣

Yeah sorry, it's really common. You don't lose as much hair when pregnant and lots of women will have a spell where lots of it falls out afterwards.

Afternoon ladies

Well baby nate was inconsolable this morning with the jabs and it took quite a while to calm him down. He's currently having quite the snooze, which had enabled me to get a nap (woke up with sore throat and runny nose). Gonna have to wake him up soon to administer some more calpol. Keeping fingers crossed he doesn't get a temperature, as it's dd's 'graduation' ceremony party at nursery tomorrow so was hoping the whole family could go although I don't dh would actually mind having an excuse to stay at home as he doesn't like mingling with other parents.

Hope you're all well xx

We survived the jabs, she screamed while she was getting them but thankfully calmed down fairly quickly afterwards. She's currently having a big feed so I'm hoping the calmness stays 🤞

Glad you had a fairly settled night @Acorncat , and that's such a good idea re the phone cam!
I shall also try the cancellation route- also going to look into whether I can visit alternative hospitals than those offered.

@MrsJW15 and tea I'm also curly (and super thick) and only brush before washing. Last time I did it and cleaned my hairbrush it looked like someone was hiding in my bathroom bin. Thankfully I've got too much to begin with..!

@jennymac31 and @1004Rise I hope it's plain sailing this eve for both of you and I hope you feel better too Jenny

We've just started mm on infant gaviscon after the local GP checked him today and concurred that it sounded like he's suffering from silent reflux what with the increasing feed difficulty and constant crying in pain and gulping. After 3 doses we've had two calmer feeds, less crying, and he's dropped off in my arms...praying this is the start of an easier few days...🙏🏼

Glad you got through the jabs Jenny and rise. The graduation ceremony sounds very cute.

Interesting about not brushing curly hair mighty and others. My toddler has very curly hair (which always looks like a bird's nest). Maybe I shouldn't brush it? I've got dead straight hair and am clueless.

Baby Bees has been so wakeful these last two days. Hoping it's just a growth spurt and she's not turning into a fussy napper like her sister.

@EsmesBees generally speaking, brushing curls separates the locks and makes it frizzier. It depends on the length but you could try just brushing before wash and gently after when damp with a wide tooth comb or your fingers, and just leave inbetween? My mum always used to brush mine out daily with a mason pearson type bristle brush and I hated the fluffy halo it became! To be fair I wanted straight hair until I was about 35, but not brushing it between washes certainly helps

Thanks mighty. A fluffy halo is a good description! I'll give the no brushing a go. What you do if you want to put it up? Do you not brush it in to a pony tail etc? I always wanted curls as a kid, but having DD has taught me that straight hair is much easier to handle.

@EsmesBees I brush when wet and then not again until the next wash. If I put it up I just pull the hair back, no brushing. Never as neat as straight hair but it works. If you wanted to do something like plaiting it might be easier to brush out.

I've been expressing so my husband can give a bottle and I've noticed I get more out the right than left. Is this normal and is there anything I can do to even it up a bit? I do have pain in the right which the health visitor has diagnosed thrush and given us both medication so I wonder if this has anything to do with it?

rabbity I'm also right breasted
I leave it be, mostly, but it's the one that's easier to pump off of and has a better letdown, and gets fuller faster.

Master SHK also has curls. I tend to only use conditioner (no shampoo) and only comb when wet.

Thanks MrsJW and savage sounds like I need to sort out my curl care. Hoping the baby will take after me and inherit my straight hair.

I'm the opposite rabbity and my left breast is the prolific one. I did speak to the feeding consultant about it, and she said it was normal if baby has a preference and I could even it up by encouraging baby to feed on the other more. I haven't bothered but sometimes there is a visible size difference.

@savagehk right breasted 😂 I hadn't thought of it like that!

I'll just leave it then. It's not a visible difference, I just notice when I'm expressing.

mighty "someone hiding in bathroom bin" I've loved having more hair as mine is also curly but very fine. Not looking forward to it falling out :(
Love how hair growth on other parts of my body (armpits, legs etc) slowed right down in pregnancy and seems to have stayed that wsy.

Glad the gaviscon seems to be helping mighty, poor little poppet.

I'm a curly girl and only brush before washing too.

Naturebond questions before using for first time today....
So I can't mix just expressed milk with milk in fridge? Keep a bottle of milk in fridge, pop naturebond straight in fridge after use then just before next use decant into bottle in fridge?

Also realised baby Badger will prob knock it away as I feed with her laying across my front?
Also no good for night feeds unless I want to go downstairs and pop in fridge after each feed?
Sorry lots of Questions!

Glad jabs seem to be going ok Ladies. I'm nervous about them, got a couple of weeks yet....

The thread has wings again and I am struggling to keep up!
To all who have had/having first vaccines - baby-crazy got a temperature, vomited up several doses of Calpol, became listless and wouldn't eat. I freaked out (posted at the time) but it lasted less than 24hrs and he was back to normal. Though scary I would take those relatively minor symptoms over the diseases he was vaccinated against any day! Due 2nd lot of vaccines next week and not looking forward to it...
We also have hand sucking and face rubbing. He has also started to reach for things on purpose which is amazing and is also recognising people's faces!
Having had OH issues initially this appears to be improving now we are both getting more sleep and baby-crazy is becoming more interactive. Think he felt lost, ignored and left out and didn't know what do to (yup big toddler...).
THANK YOU to whoever recommended the naturebond!!🌟 I find expressing so uncomfortable so have been avoiding it but the naturebond is a breeze 😊 Storage question - how long are you keeping it in the freezer for? I would like to hold a just in case stash but as breast milk changes as the baby grows I am not sure how long to keep/when to use? I don't use bottles/expressed milk so wouldn't be using it routinely?

Crazy I'll keep it the 6 months. Yes, better if it's closer in age, but if it's only occasional or used after they start foods I'm sure the difference is minimal. Formula doesn't change week to week!

Now I know that the diseases we're getting babies vaccinated for are a million times worse than the impact of the vaccines but there were a couple of moments last night when poor baby Rise was screaming and we couldn't do anything to make it better that I felt like the worst mother ever for making he have them. Thankfully she was fine and sleeping it off by about 10 pm with only the usual windy cries in the night. I'm glad the second round won't be as bad but I'm already dreading the third lot 😣

@Rabbitykins55 @savagehk @EsmesBees I'm left breasted.... It's always been the more leaky one too although I don't think there's a visible difference.

@Badgerbird I'm with you on the less body hair care required, I'm hoping it stays a bit longer!

I have very fine straight hair and was enjoying the fact it only needed washing once a week since being pregnant, guessing it's going to go back to every other day when it starts to fall out 😳 rubbish !!

I do love the advice that comes out on this thread!!

@crazyzooo glad your OH is getting better.... there's definitely a noticeable difference when they start to get a reaction 😁

😳 5 day catch up! Things have just been plain old busy here...

Molly has her jabs booked for Aug 2nd so great reading everyone's experiences so far!

We also got a naturebond a week ago now and I love it! Generally use it at most feeds and am freezing a good 6oz of milk every day now as a minimum.

We've also introduced expressed bottles here or there (I went to work for half a day on Thursday) and we've had no problems so far which is good.

I cannot believe how old some of the beautiful babies are here! Molly will only be 6 weeks on Tuesday!!

I'm going to be taking her to the nursery to hand in her registration form as we've decided on where we'd like her to go too.

She came up with a few spots / slight rash about a week or so ago now, which we have assumed is baby acne, DH took her to see the GP to be on the safe side - they have prescribed Zerobase Emollient cream which we've been using for two days, but it seems to be getting much worse - any one else have any ideas?

The pharmacist said she's potentially allergic to my milk?

Baby rabbit is 8 weeks now and I've suddenly developed overwhelming feelings to protect him from everyone else and suddenly don't like anyone else holding him if I feel like they are taking over from me. Is this normal? I didn't have these feelings when he was brand new.

@RasperryInAMelon we've been diagnosed with a possible allergy to milk too. I've had to go dairy free to see if there's a difference. Symptoms here was blood in the stools. Also has baby acne but that's been for some time. Bloody stools was new last week. Waiting for a referral for a paediatrician so hopefully we will know more then.

raspberry and rabbitykins - I am not a human medical practitioner so may be talking out of my back side (I often do - more so since my brain got hormonally fried and exists in 4-5hrs sleep/day). .. But I read somewhere that less than 0.5% of babies are actually intolerant/allergic to dairy in the mothers milk. It seems to be a very easily reached for diagnosis for any sort of problems. Then an exclusion diet is recommended, baby gets better and it's assumed it was dairy (or whatever allergen) and it may have gotten better in that time on it's own... Would get advise from a breastfeeding consultant too (e.g. le leche league or NCT) alongside medical advise (obviously).

@rasperryinamelon still looks like baby acne to me. Ours is finally clearing. Worse in the heat.

if it's allergy to your milk more likely to show digestive issues imo, I'm dairy free atm due to her throwing up a lot and being unsettled (plus some massively stinky poos/farts during her first week or so). my first had equally-gross acne but no sensitivity to my milk.

raspberry ment to add that baby-crazy looked like that at 6 weeks (convinced myself he had meningitis despite having a very well baby...). It had gone by 9ish weeks. Just washed in water and limited baths. Any creams made it worse.