Jan '07 part 10: The lo's go a bit doolally at 16 weeks...followed swiftly by the ruddy menfolk!

[2Happy]

Rant at your leisure...

Wilks ill send a bottle of vodie

but his trailer for the new series of grand designs had him with a wife and kids didn't it?

Does it?

Morning! Lo just gone to sleep - trying to get her used to sleeping in a buggy rather than flat in her pram for our holiday next week (no way am I taking expensive pram on a plane) and she not like!

Wilkie - refreshment for tonight definitely a bottle of red! As for the coil I had one between dd2 and dd3 - chose a copper one as I don't like the idea of hormones rampaging round my body BUT my periods were bloody horrendous (no pun intended) so decided on a mirena this time as few women get periods at all. It was uncomfortable this time when it went in but that's because I wasn't on a period so my cervix was tightly shut (makes me shudder again just writing this). Any other questions feel free to ask.

EAH - well done on getting your dh's hours changed. My dh works long hours but he chooses them himself and tries to grab those best paid eg nights, weekends, bank holidays. In fact we go to visit him at work if he's there all weekend it's the only way we get to see him

RGee - glad your work meeting went well and I've nearly persuaded dh about that cleaner

MrsC - hope you feel better soon

I got in today at 12.00 from a mums and tots group and there was a letter for me inviting me to a weaning session run by the health visitors - just what I need as I've forgotten nearly everything about what they can have and when etc. So look when it is and starts 12.30 today!?! Just left them a message saying would love the info but need more than 30 minutes notice

Well, I spoke to my health visitor earlier about J's feeding. He took 18oz of milk between 6pm-4am which I think is excessive considering he is having three lots of solids PLUS milk during the day.

She agreed and thinks he is waking in the night through habit rather than need as he is never particularly hungry in the morning for his brekie at 8am.

So she suggested two things: a) cut down on his milk at 3am by gradually reducing it from 6oz down to 1oz then none. OR b) making his 6oz bottle but reducing the scoops of powder so that he eventually is just taking water then nothing.

What do you think???? Has anyone had any experience of this?? The HV also recommended letting him 'cry it out' if none of the above work which I told her I thought was cruel and unnecessary, I agreed to try CC (going in every 3,5,7,then 10 mins) but that I wouldn't let him just cry until he went to sleep cos I believed he would feel abandoned

Hmm, very mixed views on this as I'm sure you know, Wilkie. Some think it's bad full stop, others think it's fine after a certain age. I've had three hv who have said that cc is pointless and cruel before six months as they can't understand and DO feel abandoned. Are you finding the night feed very hard? 18oz is only a bottle at bed, dreamfeed then a nightfeed isn't it. I say only, I know it seems a lot but it's very normal at this age not to sleep through yet, as many do as don't if you see what I mean.
If you can bear to hang on I would, and see if it settles by six months? I did it, kind of, with dd around ten or eleven months as she was waking four or five times during the evening before I even went to bed. It was hard, worked in the end but she was very angry, shouting at me more than anything, she knew I was there though, which is the point, not sure they do at this age.
See what everyone else thinks, I might be the voice of doom again but although you have to do whats best for you at the end of the day, it doesn't sound as if you want to do it? What does your DH think?

I do take your opinion into account MrsC. ATM, I am going to try the milk thing. I do honetly think he is waking out of habit more than need IYSWIM. It also then means he is not particularly hungry for his breakfast.

I am going to cut the 6oz bottle down to 4oz tonight for the 3am feed and see how it goes. I wonder if eventually I cut it right down and then maybe just give water he may stop???

I DO find the night feed hard MrsC, I have never made any bones about the fact that I am terrible on broken sleep (which I know is par for the course with a baby) but I honestly thought he would be sleeping through by 19 weeks. I just feel frustrated.

I feel like we have cracked naps/getting him to bed with the use of the music box I have so I would just love to attempt to crack the night feed.

I am pro-CC but only if it is done properly i.e. going in at regular short intervals (the most I would build up to is 10 mins) to let him know I am still about and haven't just abandoned him but would rather avoid it if necessary.

I remember with Ellie she didn seem to want to drop her dreamfeed so we gradually reduce scoops of milk/amount (we also bought her feed forward 15 mins each night but that doessnt work on night feeds ) after about a week she slept through with no dream feed, whereas Hattie has dropped hers herself (although I occasionally dreamfeed her if she hasnt taken much of her bedtime bottle)

Meant to be making 'healthy' packed lunch for Ellies preschool trip tomorrow (I have to go as well!!!) but cant be arsed, have got Ellies sunhat and sunlotion out in case it stays warm and also made bottles up for brother and gf as they'll have Hattie for me. Brother,gf and her little boy coming for tea tomorrow so made cottage pie for kids get them bathed and bed and then BBQ for us mmm yummy

Iv got something to tell you all

Iv got the shits good and proper

Hi there! Back from my weekend at the inlaws and had a good time. Got on really well with MIL as well .

Had a bit of a drama with Luke on sunday though. He came in from playing in the garden with his cousin and MIL took off his jumper as he was sweating and she saw a red lump which she thought was a bite on his shoulder. I came in from changing Ruth and took a look 5 mins later and it was big red blotchy blisters like hives (sp?) and had spread down his arm. THen after I got back from getting him some piriton, it was all over his arms, legs and body.

He had had some kind of allergic reation to something in the garden but then also had a reaction to the piriton and went all twitchy and hyper.

He didnt sleep the WHOLE way home even though he was really tired, we left at his bed time and it is a 4 hour drive! He just couldnt let go so went to the doc next day incase he has the reaction again so we have something other than piriton to give him.

Then yesterday evening my dad rang me to tell me that he while he was having a routine bupa health check, they found some weird reading, so he had some more tests and told him he has prostrate cancer. It really worries me as my grandad died from it but he got it when he was in his 70s and my dad is only 55 so guess his chances are good. They also caught it really early so again that is good. It is really hard though as he lives so far away (7 hours drive up in Inverness) so cant just pop in to see him and wont be able to when he has an op to remove it.

So its a bit stressful here, and now we have a date for Ruth's christening so have to start planing that as well.

Just spent ages catching up so

UD glad all went well at the weekend.

UD/EAH/Nemo and anyone else having troubles with DHs send a big to them from me! DH says my cross face is pretty scary too! Hope it gets better soon. xxx

Cant beleive so many of you are taking about going back to work! The time has just flown. It doesnt seem that long since we were just starting the postnatal thread.

Wilkie - cant remember if you have read the baby whisperer book, but the one called solves all your problems is really good with sleep problems. Gives you loads of if he's doing this it could be this kind of advice. I would do the milk thing then see how he is when he is just having water. Something BW sugests if they are waking at the same time is to wake them an hour earlier to break the habit. Sounds scary to me but might be worht a try if he is still waking when he isjust having water? I did the kind of cc you are talking about with Luke when I stopped swaddling him (I didnt stop til he was over 6 months as he slept so well with it!). It only took afew days and he only did it for an hour the first night with me going in every time he sat up crying (kind of like rapid return) so I didnt leave him alone crying but he knew I wasnt playing as well. He was that bit older and was just angry that things had changed though and def not hungry. I would def follow your own gut feeling as when I have done things that I dont think are quite right, that is when I have felt guilty.

And EAH, I cant believe how organised you are with cleaning etc! I think I am going to say you are a bit obsessive to myself so that I dont feel like such a failure as our house is a tip and I am always behind with everything. Love your tips though! Might even get around to trying some of them!

Nice Laughalot! Hope it is better soon.

Haven't read all posts just a couple so far.

Wilkie - there aren't as many calories in food as there are in milk so this could be why he's wanting lots of milk still to make up the extra calories that he needs. I would personally not worry about him not being hungry for breaskfast and give him as much milk as he wants. Ethan still wakes 4ish times a night and last night was 5 I think between 12 and 6am but he does still need it as he's only 19 weeks tomorrow (even though he is big his stomach is still small).

I don't agree with cc in any form and would never do that. I don't think it's right to tell a baby that you aren't there for them at night the same way you are during the day, sometimes they just want comfort and being such small and young babies who can blame them! Don't forget it's only been a few months since they were born and I bet they remember the lovely warm womb they were once in and our heartbeat sooths them, as do our loving arms and cuddles whether it's night or day. Sounds soppy I know lol but I believe it

Did you get a highchair btw?

Poor Ethan has conjunctivitis, had to take him to the drs today as it got worse from the morning to midday, they fitted him in between appointments so we were seen at 4pm. He has just had a cold so that's probably why he has this now and the drops should clear it up.

He rolled from back to front for the first time a couple of days ago and is now brilliant at it and never stays on his back for long hehe. He's sitting really well now too. He has all the signs that he's ready for blw in fact except the tongue thrust reflex (not that I'd wean him now anyway) so I'm definitely waiting for that to go and also at least a few more weeks until he's ready.

Will try and catch up with the other posts now.

Nemo - glad the pregnancy test was the right result for you I had to do one months ago as we had sex without a condom when Ethan
was 3 weeks old (stupid I know) but luckily it was negative.

Liz - where in Eastbourne are you going? Dh's granddad lives there quite near the sea.

MrsCarrot - we also boycott Nestle, after reading about them and seeing the baby milk action website I just couldn't carry on
giving my money to them so they can carry on causing babies to die.

Eah - great news about your dh getting Sunday off

Rgee - I've been about but have been a bit ill myself, had a horrible sore throat and woke up feeling worse. I'm going
to get Ethan weighed the Monday after next (they only do it on Monday's and won't be there on bank holiday) bet he's huge

please noone mention who wins the apprentice as I won't be watching until later as dh is watching the football!

Dragon - glad you had a nice weekend and that you got on well with mil. Must have been frightening seeing Luke like that.
Dd is allergic to pencillin (as am I) and we found out a few months ago. She came out in big blotches, one second there was nothing
there and the next her face was covered, it was really worrying and we had to take her to the out of hours dr. Luckily she was fine
but no more pencillin! Ds1 is also allergic and had the same reaction so I think ds2 will automatically not be given them. So sorry
about your dad you must be so worried. Hope he's ok.

Wilkie - tough one re night feeds. dd2 didn't sleep through til she was 8 months so fully sympathise! Last week my lo started waking again earlier and earlier for a feed and by the night she only got to 12.15 I'd had enough and just settled her without feeding her (eventually). She's since gone back to sleeping through

On another note had my scan this pm and my coil is not where it should be So back to my gp for a gynae referral. I'm really annoyed about it as can only now use condoms until it's out

Oh dear canmummy. Hope it is not painful and that they sort it out quickly .

How could I forget this! Poor Ethan again earlier on, my mum was putting him in his pram and trying to strap him in. She clicked the strap and he started screaming. I said you haven't caught his skin in that have you, she said no so I said why is he screaming like that then and she realised she had, undone it quickly. I went out to pick him up and his poor little leg has a horrible mark on it it must have really hurt, right on his thigh I was really angry at her at the time though as he was in so much pain and it was a big mark so I told her to fuck off when she was trying to look at him, it was just a reaction though and did feel bad after. He screamed for a few minutes and then wanted a feed so I fed him and he calmed down and went to sleep on me. It was such a horrible feeling seeing and hearing him hurting so much, wanted it to be me, was a feeling in my stomach that's hard to explain. We're all ok now though and mum is ok too as she obviously felt awful as well.

Sorry E has a poorly eye Jodie. Ruth will roll from her tummy to her back but not the other way yet.

Pink - Well done on the weight! You are so disciplined!

Shit, DH , so sorry
Lal - hope you feel better soon

Poor E Jodie. Cant believe you told your mum to F*ck off though! I still cant swear infront of mine!

Thanks all. We do both swear anyway (not in front of kids), we're so common lol. I shouted a bit too. I did say sorry though and she completely uderstood thankfully.

jodie poorethan with eye/leg

dragonhart - sorry to hear about your dad good thing its been caught early and glad luke better now

canmummy - at coil hope they sort soon

pcf - give us a link to the reception place

wilkie - not mentioning sleep anymore

UD/LTH where are you???????????

sorry forgot PCF well done thats great weight loss!!!!

Jodie - poor ethan, I can't swear in front of my mum either and give her disapproving looks if she swears!

pcf - well done on weight loss really must join you. How exciting you finding reception venue

DH - sorry to hear about your dad

Well dh doing the ironing until apprentice comes on haven't I got him well trained?