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May 2007 - The babies are arriving!!

785 replies

aprilmeadow · 03/05/2007 16:31

Thought i would start the offical May 2007 thread as it is May and we have now had our first offical May baby - even though we have 6 naughty babies who queue jumped and arrived in April .

Probably be a while before there are many messages but a least we have a thread now

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
cameroonmama · 20/06/2007 12:14

OMG, that's a thought, I could have 3 stroppy spotty teenagers

cinnamontam · 20/06/2007 12:17

You are a BRAVE woman.

Well, let me know about the crocs Cam. Haven't given them much thought so far. My ante-natal lady wore them but then she was so cool anyway it worked.

Let me know ladies - the US shopping express leaves on July 17th and I have 8 days to amuse myself by shopping with Tilda (will have a car) while DH is at work.

InTheseShoes · 20/06/2007 12:49

Afternoon all!

Just had T weighed, he is 11lbs 7oz at 19 days old, he's put on 19oz in ten days! (he was 10lb 4oz last Monday, have I done the maths right?) - what a guzzler! I also asked the HV to pass my details onto someone who is organising a Mother and Baby group as I'm hoping to get out and aout a bit more once I can drive again - it's a pain relying on DH (who is back at work in any case this week) particularly as my MOT cost £177 yesterday!!!!!

It was my oldest ds' (can't quite get used to that yet ) class mass today, so had to get all four of us out of the house by 8.30am - LGT, I take my hat off to you, you must be a military style operations manager! It was lovely, he did so well, and at the end of the Mass, the priest asked me to come to the front so he could introduce T to everyone (I teach at DS's school) and they all gave him a clap, I was very emotional!

Add me to the list of people who feel they have nothing to wear - maternity jeans too big but prepregancy jeans too tight! I am living in skirts at the moment. Also had to go any buy some tops yesterday as all my maternity ones are long enough but too wide and I'm not thin enough for the prepregnancy ones - with my extra norkage, they are to short basically!

T took some EBM from his Daddy last night, so I am hoping to attend a "do" on Saturday - I bought the ticket in the early days of pregnancy, thinking at that time that I would have an early elective section and that T would be about 6 weeks now and not 3. It would be nice to get out, and so long as DH has EBM to give him and gives lots of cuddles I'm sure he'll do ok. I can always leave early if I need to I suppose. Can't get into my posh frock, but have cobbled something together to wear if I go. I would never have considered this with DS1, but as D is away three days next week, I feel he should pull a bit of extra weight this weekend if I need him to. Worried I am a bad mother though...

It sounds like we are all getting used to our new little bundles, glad all is going relatively smoothly with everyone.

Lupins71 · 20/06/2007 13:03

TYG my cp has only really been gone about 2 weeks so nearly 2 months after having A,

Tam if you are really sure then could you grab me a large bag of tootsie rolls, sending virtual hug, my usa friend bought my last lot over and dd ate the last 1 yesterday grrrrr, let me know how to send you money, would be really appreciated u just cant get them over here without paying whopping postage on ebay usa sweetie shop site

I cant believe the size of some of your lo's mine still seems dinky

twelveyeargap · 20/06/2007 13:45

Gagh! Only just gone after two months?

I don't seem to be retaining fluid - ankles etc all fine. However my joints seem swollen. Like my fingers are definitely thinner but I can't get my wedding ring over the knuckle. It would fit on the bit after the knuckle.

Going to look into it some more. Maybe I need a lymph drainage massage or something...

ShowOfHands · 20/06/2007 13:50

I'm really sorry to come on here and whinge, especially as I haven't had time to catch up with everybody else's news.

I am not coping at all today. M has been feeding constantly for four days, no exaggeration. She just sucks and sucks and sucks. If I don't let her she screams blue murder. It's nearly 2pm, I'm still slumped in my pyjamas on the floor, she's been feeding since 6am apart from those times when she falls asleep and if I take my nipple away she screams again. My iron levels are dropping as I can't get to the kitchen to get food, I can't take the tablets as they make me so constipated due to poor diet, low blood pressure means I've started fainting if I try and take her out in the pram. My parents are in Turkey, DH is out of the house from 9.30am till 1am the following morning, I don't know anybody nearby, can't drive and my only achievement each day is getting to the loo very occasionally and getting a glass of water.

I'm a human dummy and it's funny that I always thought a dummy was a bright, colourful, cheerful piece of plastic. I'm a grey, drab mess.

I'm sorry to whinge. Today is a Bad Day.

InTheseShoes · 20/06/2007 14:05

SOH have you rung your HV? I am usually the last person to advocate voluntary contact with them, but this sounds like the kind of thing she should be helping with - you can't go on like this! M could be having a growth spurt but it's also possible that she may not be getting quality milk because you are not eating (LGT mentioned this in relation to Beau's feeding in the evening the other day). I know how hard it is for you and I don't know how you are managing/ When your parents get home can they come and stay for a while? It's not ideal but they can make you drinks and sandwiches? DH needs to make you a supply of butties and things to keep you going, even if it is 1am, or he can get up half an hour early and do it. Please dial a pizza now - get a thin crust one with veggies on for extra vits, and a pudding, and some sort of drink. Tesco.com also for food and bottled water. Can anyone from the library come and hold her while youn eat/shower? Sorry if these are crap ideas, I wish I was down the road so I could come and make youn eat cakes

ShowOfHands · 20/06/2007 14:09

HV's in Spain and I have about 67p in my purse.

She's crying again.

twelveyeargap · 20/06/2007 14:16

SOH - First things first. No baby every died of crying, ok? It's hideous to listen to, but it really, really won't kill her. Put M down, close the door on her for just 5 minutes, and go and make yourself some food. NOW. As per my post from last night/ today - if you do not eat properly then neither does she. That is the bottom line. A has been unsettled in teh evenings because I wasn't having a proper lunch. Honestly, I had a stuff up yesterday lunchtime and she was angelic last night.

You cannot go on like this. Do you have a breast pump? Can you express some milk? If M is really hungry, she will take milk from a bottle or even from a feeding cup, otherwise she is NOT hungry and does NOT need the breast.

How much is she sleeping? Could she be overtired? I got into this cycle the first few days I had A. She was sucking and sucking, but not actually feeding - there was no swallowing. Sucking makes them tired. They get too tired to feed properly and too hungry to sleep. Viscious circle. If she'll take a couple of ounces of expressed milk, she won't have to put much effort in to get it and should sleep a bit.

With A I had to break the cycle by not letting her suckle for comfort and finding another way to get her to sleep. Her refusing a bottle made me confident enought to take her off the breast, knowing she wasn't hungry.

Please re-consider trying a dummy. It is NOT failure. She may or may not take it and if she does take it, it might just get her over a couple of difficult days. That's what happened with A. She took one type of dummy when she was a few days old and it got us over a couple of difficult nights then she refused it. More recently we got her to take another kind of dummy and again, it got us through a couple of bad days and now she has no interest again, now that she's happier in herself.

Any possibly you could take her to an osteopath? I'm wondering if that would settle her. It's done wonders for A.

Please phone if it's too much. You have my number don't you? Would you like a visit? Or you could come to me if you'd like a change of scenery. Am seriously worried about your health though.

twelveyeargap at googlemail dot com

juliewoolie · 20/06/2007 14:42

Have to agree with tyg. Put M down let her cry for a bit she will be ok. You need to make your dh understand how tricky it is he can make you a sandwich for during the day before he goes to work. You need to be ok for M to be ok.

InTheseShoes · 20/06/2007 14:43

SOH there must be HV cover. Use a credit card to pay for pizza and if you don't have one ring DH for his card number. Or as TYG says, leave her for 5 mins, in her cot, she will be fine for a short period. TYG is very wise and has good advice.

cameroonmama · 20/06/2007 15:14

SOH, I am coming on to echo what TYG has said, all very good advice. Let M cry, it seriously works wonders sometimes, put her in her cot/somewhere safe, close the door. If it makes you feel uncomfortable, let her cry for 2 mins then go in and rub her tummy and shhhh her without picking her up, then go away again.

Go and drink several glasses of water, boil some water and put on some pasta, throw in whatever veg you have into the pot, let it all cook for 10mins, put some grated cheese on top and eat woman.

It sounds like M is using you for comfort and she needs to learn to settle herself, if she won't sleep try putting her on your knee face down and gently pat her on her on her bottom/rub her back and see if she will go to sleep that way, then she is away from your boobs.

Get yourself onto tesco online and order some ready meals, please.

ShowOfHands · 20/06/2007 15:26

Thanks all. It's just nice to know somebody's listening tbh. DH has sneaked home for half an hour (after I phoned his work sobbing) so he is making me food and looking after M. I have had a shower and hoovered (I know I know, not a priority but do not underestimate how much happier a clean carpet makes me- I spend 18hrs out of 24 staring at it).

M is definitely feeding and not just sucking. She was weighed yesterday and has gained a pound this week. She's very, very hungry. I have just started to express manually from one side while feeding off the other. Got 4oz during a 20 minute feed. Is that good? Should I be using a pump to get more? Honestly she feeds so much I look like Dolly Parton in a padded bra.

Don't worry about me. I am just exhausted. Haven't slept for two hours together since I don't know when. It'll get better, she's 6 weeks tomorrow. Oddly she's still extremely happy. She falls off the breast half way through each gannet session as she can't stop grinning and chuckling.

Most importantly, the new Harry Potter is out next month. If it's very heavy how do I hold it open, read and feed at the same time?

TYG, I may just take you up on that offer. I am determined to at least make the meet-up and may stay down that way and impose on you and Tam if you don't mind. Obviously will stay in a hostel and just visit, won't be hanging around with my sucky offspring.

I really hope you're all well. DH has appeared with soup, cheese sandwich, mackeral, vitamins and a ton of fruit.

I really miss you lot. Will try and read through this afternoon depending on the magical sucking baby's mood.

ShowOfHands · 20/06/2007 15:34

Shushing and patting just doesn't cut it. She gets so angry that I probably don't do it for long enough anyway. I keep thinking that if she's demand fed and she's demanding then who am I to refuse?

Did read something about Woolacombe on here days ago... or I may have dreamt it... I used to go to Ilfracombe every year on holiday as a child and spent a lot of happy time at Woolacombe, Hele Bay, Lee Bay, Combe Martin etc. Lovely bit of the world. What's the shell beach next to Woolacombe called? Is it Barricaine? I'm taking DH and M next year as he's never been.

Must eat.

BefnalNorkSnorkel · 20/06/2007 15:53

SOH - 1 word - flapjack

or cheap £1 trays from tesco. just do it. got me through the early days if i could get nothing else. that and bananas

xx

twelveyeargap · 20/06/2007 16:32

SOH - Demand feeding doesn't have to be on EVERY demand! It sounds to me like she might "snacking". Why wouldn't she be happy, we all love to snack.

It's going to be tough, but I think you might have to try a bit of tough love and make her wait and have a full meal. If she was a toddler, you wouldn't let her graze all day, would you? Obviously I'm not saying you have to set meal times, but I think you'll see where I'm coming from.

She doesn't need to eat more often than every 2.5 to 3 hours. May I suggest that you get a couple of decent meals in you (it does wonders for your milk quality within hours) and make the little muggins properly hungry. It sounds mean as anything, but I suggested it to a lady at NCT last week who was having similar problems and it worked. If she's just fed for say 10 minutes, then make her wait at least an hour until the next feed and if she feeds for longer that time, then make her wait a bit an hour and 15 mins for the next feed. If she's on and off your boobs all day, is it possible that she's not getting as much hind milk as she would if she had a longer feed?

It's worth a shot if you can bear it. The NCT lady I mentioned - her LO is going 2.5 to 3 hours now. She's also giving EBM at night so her LO feeds quicker and goes back to sleep faster.

Further to all this (which you are obv free to ignore!) and you may already know all this... Don't forget that she won't be hungry every time she cries. Even if she seems happier when you put her to the breast and even if she feeds a bit - it doesn't mean she was crying because she was hungry. I kept forgetting this at first, btw, which is why I'm saying it.

I found some of the tips in Baby Whisperer very useful, like:

If your baby is crying less than 2.5 to 3 hours after a feed, she is probably not hungry. (For me, if she wakes say, 2 hours after a feed and is crying, I certainly don't make her wait, but if she wakes 45 mins after a big feed, now I won't feed her.)

Crying from hunger will start with a little cough sound in the back of the throat then start and will build up to sound like a steady waa, waa, waa. You can look for the obvious signs of rooting (though my baby roots out of "interest"), tongue will pop out of mouth.

The cry most often confused with hunger is tiredness and overtiredness. "Starts as cranky, irregular-frequency fussing, but if not stopped quickly, it escalates to an overtired cry: first, three short wails followed by a hard cry, then two short breaths and a longer even louder cry. Usually will cry and cry and if left alone, will eventually fall asleep. Visual signs are: "Blinks, yawns. If not put to bed, physical signs can include back arching, legs kicking and arms flailing; may grab own ears or cheeks and scratch face (a reflex); if you're holding her, squirms and tries to turn into your body. If he continues to cry, face will become bright red.

Other notes on this: "Of all cries, the most often misinterpreted for hunger. Therefore, pay close attention to WHEN it occurs. It may come after playtime, or after someone has been cooing at the baby. Squirming is often mistaken for colic."

Discerning between those two really helped me. It genuinely didn't occur to me that if she'd just had a feed 30 mins ago and was crying that she was probably tired. It really didn't. I've read in a couple of different books that babies can only really be awake for about 45 mins without getting tired. That's a good indicator for me too, about what she's crying about.

Hope that helps a bit. x

Oh and you'd be very welcome to come and stay here, SOH. No "proper" beds yet, just inflatables unfortunately, but we have a spare room. The offer is there anyway. Am very willing to do a mercy-dash and fill my boot with ready meals for you, btw.

4oz is LOADS if you're hand expressing! My goodness. I only get that with the super-duper pump. You are a milk machine!

largeginandtonic · 20/06/2007 16:43

Oh SOH you must listen to all the others, very glad DH got home to feed you. I am worried about you, come and stay here too. Not quiet but entertaining

Where is this meet up? Have i missed something? Oh and TYG i will be fully imposing if i make it Actually not sure i will be able to, DH goes to sea then. He is away for our 1st anniversary on the 8th July and for Jonah's birthday on 13th It could be a case of me and 6 children on the train\driving, sounds scary to me.

Must go and do the tea while Beau is sleeping, he is in a dirty nappy too i can smell it.....just cant bring myself to wake him just to change a nappy. SUCH a bad mommy, take note SOH. By the way demand feeding does not mean killing yourself in the process.

BefnalNorkSnorkel · 20/06/2007 16:53

meet up on 10th july thread here

just added a hilarious new pic of my not so little milk bat at a hen picnic - she is deffo chozzing out! looks a bit like a mini middle age drunk

twelveyeargap · 20/06/2007 17:03

Boo, can't see your profile whilst you have your snazzy name.

BefnalNorkSnorkel · 20/06/2007 17:07

try again?

cinnamontam · 20/06/2007 17:37

SOH - I have nothing more to add to what the extremely wise TYG has already written. It's horrible to hear the crying but 5 mins will not hurt her and she can't look after you - you have to do that my love.

You are extremely welcome to stay with me. I'm sure it would be great for both of us to hang out a bit together. At least I can make sure you eat enough
And just chatting through stuff with someone makes such a massive difference. Just let me know when you want to come down. How long will DH be doing these hours by the way??

Juicylucytoo · 20/06/2007 17:53

Oh buggar...this doesn't get any easier.

Baby is sucking the nipples off me. In pain during most feeds. Have tried to change the latch, but he just goes back to sucking the nipple and not widening his mouth. Toe curdling.

On top of that his last nappy was diarrhoea. Oh crap - literally. Now have to wait and see how the next one turns out.

It's great having a new baby isn't it

juliewoolie · 20/06/2007 17:55

JL check his tongue is it lapping properly.

juliewoolie · 20/06/2007 17:58

also I was told that no matter how many times you have to unlatch him keep on doing it until he does it properly. Its boring but does work eventually. I too spent the first week crying everytime Archie latched on. I feel your pain but I promise if you persevere it does get better.

BefnalNorkSnorkel · 20/06/2007 18:13

must admit i've got lazy and let her suck her way on but the latch is proper after 30 seconds. bit painful on the old nips though. JW you've inspired me to train her back to her original good latch. not sure whether that was cos she was crying and so had an open mouth tho . tend to attach her whilst whiffling rather than when actually crying as I can't bear to hear her cry (funnily enough it doesn't get to dh in the same way)

by the way, those who haven't tried expressing/bottles of ebm yet, had lunch with someone who tried the bottle at 3 months and couldn't get them to take it so do try early tho its a real faff!

xx