March 2017 (3)

[purpleviolet1]

Thread three!

Yes! DS now does that too! Although last week he would only raise one arm, but this week we're back to raising two. You have to say the word cuddle though. And he gets so excited! 😍

So cute blondes DD will raise her arms if I say are you coming? But had started just giving cuddles randomly

hugh hope you got there in time. Luckily DD does little grunts when she poos so I know she not just having a trumping session lol

coupe it's the second day of soaking through everything, she now has 3 sleeping bags drying around the house as she spat up on one during the night and it had gone all crusty round the collar 🤢 think we might have to change to size 4 or start changing her if/when she wakes for a feed. She's such a wriggler though don't want to wake her up too much while changing.

name hope you are feeling better today

Hope everyone else is ok

@Carolann8584 DS only has one 1.5 tog sleeping bag (our house is quite warm and it was hard enough trying to find that sleeping bag, let alone another) so I have to wash it and dry it same day. Thank goodness for the hour wash and tumble dryer!

It do cute. She can be sitting and playing and I say do you want a cuddle and arms up

Doesn't do for daddy yet ......

Have a look on local fb selling sites. That's where I got our camera and monitor - toys for £1!!! - worth £20 - and gro bags £1-3 and normally £15/40 depending on make

Feeding chair and stool was £10

Or are you on a local fb town group. Ask on get. Sure many will have camera /gro bags in toys you want

I couldn't be without our angel and camera. Just gives leave of kind

Watching her now while asleep

Then off to M&T

Am making a special effort to get out for some long walks. Ds napping but will be up shortly then we will walk to the local shops. It’s quite windy but the weather is only going to get worse so I need to embrace it!

Ds gives random cuddles and kisses so adorable! Makes every second worthwhile

God I must check my replies before I post

Auto spell changes things. Sure you get the gist

Fab @purple that ds slept till 5. Drank and resettled

Enjoy walk. We've just parked at m&t

Thanks so much everyone, I'm feeling better - tired but not feeling sick or feverish any more and managed a bit of breakfast. Such a relief!

100
Sorry to hear you still have PTSD, hope you're getting support for it
A motion sensor or video monitor would be good idea if you can find a second hand bargain. Although I have heard that the motion sensors can give false alarms which might be very stressful for you.
Anyway I like the sound of gradually using the cot more, I think we will try that as soon as we can get our act together to sort out a few things in DS' room! (I told DH we need a blackout blind and his reaction was "Nooooo!" He hates putting them up!)

Hugh
I'm sorry your date didn't work out, how disappointing! Glad you could reschedule though - hope you have a lovely time on Sunday.

Carol
Leaky nappies are so annoying aren't they?! Are you using the night time ones? If not maybe try those and/or sizing up...
I am sooo tempted to use disposables at night because the washables leak if we don't change him in the night. Annoyingly I feel as if we have to carry on using the washables because we bought them, even though they are a bit of a pain sometimes!

Hugh
Sorry you had a bad night, hope you can get some rest today.

coupester
I got a twin pack of Grobags from this website for a decent price, they have 2 x 1 tog Grobags for £30 if that's any good (still not cheap but a better deal than other websites) www.babycurls.co.uk/baby-sleeping-bags/grobag-sleeping-bags/grobag-1-tog-twin-packs

purple
Enjoy your walk! I took DS for a windy walk on Monday and it was cute to see him all cosy in the pushchair with his footmuff - first time we'd used it!

As you can imagine we've taken our eye off the ball with trying to improve DS's sleep...
Mon/Tue night could have been a good night as he slept from 7.25pm to 1am without waking (the longest stretch he's had in AGES) and then went to sleep after a feed. But it all went a bit wrong from about 3am when he started waking up frequently but I don't know how much of that was me disturbing him by getting up to vomit
Last night he woke up at 11pm and 3am and I fed him both times, then he woke at 5, 5.30 and 6 DH rocked him at 5 and 5.30, I gave up and fed him at 6 in the hope he'd go back to sleep, but no such luck!
It is annoying because until recently he was reliably sleeping until 7am but for several days in a row he's been waking up at 6.30am and then 6am today. I guess 6.30am is probably quite normal for babies but he doesn't usually go to bed until 7.30pm and for our sake I would prefer to stick to a 7.30pm-7am if at all possible.

Thanks all - 38 min walk in the bag today I’m pleased   I need to slowly build my fitness up.

@NameChange30 I seem to remember you saying ‘if something doesn’t work then change approach’ so I think you should go for the disposables at night! You can still use the reusable during the day so not a waste are they. Plus you need all the energy you can muster for the nights. Hopefully things will improve slowly but surely. For what it’s worth.. I read that it’s considered normal for baby to wake between 6-7am although I know that doesn’t help..

@HughLauriesStubble Oh no poonami ds had a few days on the trot thankfully it passed.. what size nappies are you using?

@Carolann8584 I agree think you probably need to go up to size 4

@100yearsdotcom sorry to hear about your ptsd
I agree re the motion sensor, ds would constantly be setting it off as he moves lots in his sleep. The video monitor is great though if you can find a second hand one or ask for it for Christmas?

Either I didn't blend it enough or DD really doesn't like my pasta bolognese lol

She just raspberred it all over

Thanks everyone for the advice re monitors and mats - I'm gonna check out fb groups but I think you're right that the sensor mat might make me even more anxious.

Thanks name and purple, the ptsd is tough as it plays into all the normal mum worries but tips them into quite stressful symptoms. I've got a lovely counsellor but am not far off finishing as it's on the nhs and you only get so many. I'm very grateful that I've had that support and just hoping I can keep up the techniques for managing it.

I'm currently getting angry at myself as I am wishing I hadn't let family affect DD's routines so much. Since all the disruption she has started having more trouble settling herself and sleeping in general. I hope we can get her back on track and I certainly won't be allowing anything/one else to get in the way of what she needs.

100

Try not to blame yourself too much, days out and holidays and visits can all cause disruption to the routine. I've sometimes found it hard to be assertive with family about what DS needs and I think it's just a new skill we have to learn. It probably gets easier as we get more and more confident in our parenting It might take a bit of work to get her back to the usual routine but probably won't take long.
I don't know what techniques you've been using with your counsellor, but I have found mindfulness really helpful in the past. Google MBCT and MBSR. There are books on it and also meditation apps like Headspace. Studies have shown that mindfulness can be as effective as antidepressants in treating/managing depression (which definitely convinced me when I thought it was all a bit "woo"!)
Anyway you might have other techniques that are working well for you (hope so) but just thought it was worth a mention.

purple
Thank you, reminding me of my own advice made me smile - I forget to follow my own advice sometimes I think the problem with the nappies is that DH really wanted to use the washable ones, and as I often get my own way I feel as if I have to keep using the washables or I am just insisting on doing things my way again... you are right though, there would be no harm in using disposables at night and we could still use washables in the day.

😂 getting your own way lol. I think it’s probably part of being the main carer, it’s natural to want to do things your own way.

@100yearsdotcom agree with namechange lots of things can get in the way of routine and disrupt LO and it’s very frustrating trying to manage it all. I find myself getting stressed at things I never thought I would. This whole parenting lark is such a rollercoaster 🎢 we are all doing so well though. Just keep on doing what you are doing.

Hope everyone has a good night. I’m tucked up in bed. DH is out but on his way back he tells me. DS settled well at 7. Feel tired today, the walk and fresh air must have got to me!

Wonder if DD is having a growth spurt. From midnight til now she's had 30oz plus porridge, lunch and dinner she's just had nearly 5oz of her DF

Aw thanks namechange and purple, it wasn't so bad in the end as DD went to sleep at 8.10pm rather than by 7.30pm so really not too bad. I think it upsets me more cos I can see how tired she is and fighting it and she had dine so well at getting into her own rhythms. You're right, it's much harder being assertive round family, especially because I'm always being compared to other members of the family who are newish mum's. :(

Anyway, thank you for the reminder about mindfulness as I need to get back to that! It's always helped me in the past as it quietens my head down from constantly over thinking.

Wow carolann that sounds like a growth spurt to me! My DD has been getting bigger and bigger by the day, it's killing my back!

Argh done not dine and no idea where the apostrophe in mums came from!

It’s terrible when people compare. I love thAt saying comparison is the thief of joy.. if it’s anything I’ve learnt in life it’s that no two situations are the same.

Carol- wondering the same thing. Ds woke at 1.40am. Played until 02:05 until I finally went in and offered a bottle - he drank nearly 7oz. He then slept until 7.15 so not bad

Yep exactly! Ooo sounds like it!

We got out for a walk again, jus 30 mins as someone is coming out to look at the boiler but not turned up yet still pleased I pushed myself to get out

My dm is 50 on Saturday! We siblings are chipping in to buy her a bangle and was thinking of taking her for lunch. Probably during the day, after ds lunchtime nap, think that’ll be the best time..

Ds is soo intrigued with the tv remote and cordless phone, he becomes mesmerised! Anyone else’s LO’s intrigued by everyday items?

Also I’m in need of distraction techniques whilst feeding solids - he is still hitting my arm out the way but I find if I manage to get the spoon in his mouth he takes it so why the drama??

I haven’t started reading to ds yet... I just need to start

Maybe he's trying to grab the spoon rather than trying to bat your arm away?

DS is obsessed with my phone. We use it to FaceTime my mum and he's fascinated. He tries to pull the phone closer then tries to lick the screen!

He's started screaming a lot lately. I think it's just an attention thing, because when you look at him he smiles. Just wish he wouldn't do it so loud, it goes right through me!