July 2007 - yet starting in June!

[Jamantha]

Well, I can't see a post natal July 2007 thread, so will start this, even though Charlotte, my DD was born 4.5 weeks early in June. I'm sure the other July ladies will be along soon enough.

Have had 2 nights at home now. Yesterday afternoon was fairly distressing as Charlotte wouldn't latch on, and if she did she wouldn't suck. But have got loan of electric pump from hospital, and support from midwives and now managing with comination of breast, expressed and formula milk, sometimes all three in the same feed. Finding it quite emotional, with all the issues associated with feeding one's baby, but trying to stay calm as found out yesterday that getting self into a state doesn't help anyone.

Dh has just gone out to get some things we're still missing, and I'm putting my feet up for a bit. Phil & Ted has just arrived so we might try a stroll down to the ante natal class tonight!

Any how, hope there are lots of lovely birth stories to come from July ladies, and that we can swap advice, give each other moral support etc over the coming weeks and months.

Snacky I have started my lo on solids at 14 weeks because he is huge!! and wanted to feed about every hour (has been feeding every 2 since birth) He has taken to it fine and there are no probs as yet. My HV advised me to start him and I would have done anyway to be honest. he still wakes up twice in night but it was more than that before!! What does your HV say? I think they are all different with there advice and in the end you will just have to go with what you feel is right.
My dd now 4 was weaned at 4 months she is also fine and has no allergy/ dietary probs.

Snacky,

I have heard that starting weaning at 17 weeks is OK but to do it slowly ie just baby rice if possible. But maybe your LO is just having her 4 month growth spurt and it may calm down soon? You are meant to talk to your HV or GP before weaning

Thanks everyone for the advice . I will contact the HV,was reluctant to contact her incase I sounded like a fool! And cos the advice seems to be to stick with milk untill 6mths,which just seems like ages away!
Emmyb, 2hours seems alot! Poor you! How often do you spoon feed your LO?

i give him some brekkie about three scoops of rice/sunshine banana and some tea at aout 4ish of veg he has quite a lot. he has a big appetite alreadysorry about lack of capitals and errors holding big man at same time!

Sorry if my last message was a bit abrupt but LO was crying so had to dash off.

Snacky- when you say your DD was going through the night without a feed, do you mean from like 7 or 8pm? If so, is it worth introducing a "dream feed" at 11pm or just before you go to bed, because then DD might go through the rest of the night and therefore not disturb you in the middle of the night. My DS always has a feed around 10.45pm and can then go through until 7 or 8am. I've also read that babies may need 5 or more feeds after 4 months so if DD is only having a few bottles a day, maybe you could squeeze an extra one in rather than adding an ounce to each one?

I have decided to move DS into his own room as of Sunday (we have guests on Sat night who need the room otherwise I'd be doing it sooner!). I just seem to wake up when he's being noisy even though he's often still asleep. It feels a bit soon, but I have had 4 months of disturbed sleep so need a break, and I'm sure I'm disturbing him too. Wish me luck!

Hello

Maybe I'm being a bit over organised but I am looking at childcare. I go back to work at end of January and need to find a minder. Torn between a private childminder and day nursery.
Everyone tells me that Child Tax credit will help to pay for it (70%) but between DP and I we earn about £30,000. It won't help us that much will it. Don't you have to be on a low income for that to really benefit you.
What is everyone else doing for childcare. What questiions do you need to ask when you go round the places anyway.

Typhoonsmum.. My DH earns 32k and we get £85 a month child tax credit for the three children. This cost does go up if you are claiming for child care..hth..

Snacky.. (I think thats right!!) your lo could well be having a growth spurt at the moment. lee generally sleeps through the night from 7-8p,m till 7am.. but once or twice a week he will be up between 3and5am for an extra bottle. he is on 7 oz bottles genrally 5 aday but the last one is 8oz..

DH has been ona course for the last 2weeks.. back at weekends.. am amanaging ok with the 3 easier than I thought it would be. Another 5wks to go.. Then will have him home until Feb when he is defo of again for 6months..

Lee couldnt have his 2nd jas on Tues as his temop was (still is slightly raised) due to a cold. Bless him.. They have no appointments until 20th Nov.. but ihis 3rd jab is for the 16th Nov.. so I said use that in the meantime I have to phone each tues and see if there is a cancellation to get him done..

Had him weighed today he is 13lb3oz.. so is doing really well after everything to begin with.

have PIL coming tommorrow fot he weekend.. And my mum is coming next month.. and my grandparent and aunt.. My Grandparents and aunt come ont he 5th of Nov.. itwill be the first I have seen them since June05!!!! so they havent seen Scott since he was 12months.. Mam is coming on the 16NOv.. it will be first time she has seen scott since he was 14months old!!!.. I do have a bit of a bee in the bonnett about it if you havent noticed..lol. Mum is oding well after her surgery.. she hasnt mentioned anything elso so I am presuming everything is ok.. will chat when she is here. Did feel a bit upset when she mailed to say she was coming as she wants to stay in a hotel!! I have told her we have plenty of room andit is only for 3 nights.. I want her to spend as much time with the children and I as possible.. which somehow I have a feeling isnt going to happen..9sad0 I am prop just majking a mountain out of a mole hill and shouldnt let it bother me but it does.. as it is the firlst time she has seen Lee and if it was mr I would want to wpend as much ti,e with us all as possible not knowing when I will see them again!!.. Sorry just ranting now.

Hope everyone is ok..

xxxx

Hello there - it's good to read everyones news as always.

twoplusone - snap! My LO also 13lb3oz today :-)

On the self-settling poll - I try and leave her down awake, she usually spits her dummy a few times and then goes to sleep. She has a mild cold at the mo, so is a bit clingier... it's the reason I have a soft toy stuffed down my bra soaking up mummy-smell!!! Hopefully she'll never know the difference

I cannot believe she's 14 weeks now. Cripes, the time is flying.

Take care everyone.

omg ds now 12 weeks old, and was 15lb 3.5oz DD was that weight at 28 weeks.

I will get Ds weighed on Weds when he goes for his 4 month jabs, but he's a big one too, as he's already wearing some 6-9m clothes!

The weight seems to be falling off me as I now weigh less than before I got pregnant, and I'm still eating loads. Unfortunately, Dh has been eating the same, and he is gaining weight around his waistline!

The cot is being dismantled as I type and going into DS's nursery for his first night on his own. It feels like he's growing up very fast.

Pula I could have written that exact same message!!!

I've not posted much folks - feel like I'm being left behind tbh, LO still screaming nightly, can't get him to nap so constantly overtired, won't sleep unless rocked or fed, incredibly easily overstimulated to the extent that I can't even enjoy his smiles as I know they'll be followed by lots of tears, has to sleep with me because once he's asleep we can't move him without waking him. I have no life anymore and it sucks!

OOh CSB, that sounds tough. And although it's grim now, it won't be like this for ever. How old is your LO? A lot of people say that 4 monthts is a big turning point. I've got a screamer too, and she's four months today, and we've seen the screaming easing off over the last few weeks, without a doubt. It does all change - will be different by Christmas, I'm sure.

When I listen to LO screaming, I remember reading something about babies in Africa. They looked at a really poor area and found that the babies that screamed loudest and longest generally had the best chances of survival in what was a pretty harsh place to be a baby. They think it's nature's way of making sure that they survive and get all the attention and food they need. So I look on my little screamer as a tough little survivor.

We've just had 16 week jabs today. 3 injections - two in one leg, one in the other. LO inconsolable for a while.

Hope everyone else is doing well. Some big thriving babies out there, by the sounds of it...

CBS - it sounds very tough. I think it's just luck about which baby you get, this time you've got the screamer, but next time you'll have the sleepy baby.

I have found that a baby Bjorn helps when ds is screaming. A friend lent me hers and it's great. I put him in it, put ear plugs in and walk around, after a while he goes to sleep and I can do some chores as my arms are free.

The key is to start moving as soon as they are in it.

Hope that today is going well. Best wishes

uh oh the teeth are well and truly on their way now.... slobber everyway this afternoon, he is like a tap!!

Thanks folks. Bit of a low ebb. Ended up losing it last night, DP had spent 45 minutes driving around trying to calm LO because I couldn't tolerate the crying anymore, got him asleep eventually but lost patient with him feeding in his sleep and he woke up again, I ended up howling too and my poor mum had to drive over to take care of by now hysterical baby while DP took me out for a walk and a breather.

Third appointment with the cranial osteopath today and she sort of suggested maybe there's not much else she can do for him. He's had another screamathon tonight, in some ways worse than last night cos he started out of nowhere and got seriously manic really quickly. But now he's passed out on our bed.

I think the hard thing is that all the milestones are passing us by and if anything he's getting worse as time goes by - more jittery, more overtired, less able to cope with the very limited stimulation I can't help exposing him to. I honestly think I'm going to have to just stop leaving the house for a few days and just lie in bed with him to try and get him to calm down and sleep more.

I'm sorry for moaning on, I'm so lucky compared to some people, I know others have children with health problems and I feel inconsiderate for whining about mine when he's apparently physically ok. I just didn't realise that once you're a mum your child's suffering of any sort is a kind of inescapable torment, and that in itself makes me resent him - how can I ever be happy when he's always so miserable?

Anyway, 4 months is the next thing to hold out for, here's hoping this one brings some hope.

CSB- just a thought, have you spoken to your GP? Very occasionally babies suffer from silent reflux which can cause lots of pain but is hard to diagnose... Don't worry about being a paranoid parent but maybe it's worth just getting your docs to check him over thoroughly? My only other thoughts are to try to get him outside for at least an hour each day, either in a sling (which they usually like more) or if raining in the buggy. I am convinced fresh air does them the power of good although I am not a fan of the Claire Verity style stick them in the back yard for hours on their own method!! And also don't be afraid of occasionally just leaving him to cry and putting him down under a play gym or similar and going and having a cup of tea for ten mins... Try to turn off the guilt of him crying, ten mins won't do him any harm but may help you keep sane and tea works wonders (maybe decaff if you're BFing!).

Like the others have said it WILL get better. My DS was hard going until 5 months or so and then something just clicked and he settled so much better (just in time for me to go back to work ). Also from my limited experience baby boys seem to be much more unsettled than wee girls!!

I also recommend going to toddler groups where the din is so loud your baby's crying won't be noticed and he might actually quite like being surrounded by babies & toddlers!

CBS I really feel for you- huge hugs ((((( )))))

Mairi is still fairly light at 12lb 5oz but has made it onto 50th centile for her corrected (actual minus 4 weeks) age so we are v happy! She had her 3 month jabs today (3 weeks late!) and doesn't seem bothered at all thankfully. DS was quite upset by watching her being injected though and showered her with kisses which was v cute!

Doris- how are you doing and how is DD2? Thinking of you xxxx

CSB,

I promise it will get better. I remember days with my DD at this age where I would end up holding her up in front of my face screaming back at her "what's the matter" or "stop crying" and worse. I had to put her down on the bed and leave her for 10 mins sometimes just to calm myself down before I did her some harm. My HV was concerned too as I was showing signs of PND, but things got better by about 4 months. She really was just overtired, so I am very conscious of not overstimulating DS, and making sure he naps regularly. My DD could also pick up on the tension in me, which made her worse, so please continue to get others to take LO when you are tired/upset as it will be very difficult for you to settle him. If you think about how tired you feel, he is just the same. Does he take a dummy? I think this is also why things got easier at 4 months, because we tried DD with a dummy again at this time, and she took it (wouldn't take it before).

I really didn't enjoy the first few months and thought my life was over. But it is such a short spell in terms of yours and their lifetime, so those days are a distant memory. Don't worry about milestones- there are so many to come (first word, steps, food, tooth....)

Milestone schmilestones. I don't know how many people have said oh at 3, 4, 5 months they really start getting a personality. Maybe I just missed it, but dd wasn't fun or start doing anything until about a year.

Thank you all. My mum's been a great help, and LO skipped the screaming last night so even though he was awake from 1am to 5.30am I'm much happier.

And I ate a whole cheesecake yesterday .

I'm stuck and Health Visitor doesn't know what to do either. James has been sleeping thru for about a week and suddenly started to wake at 1am, 3am, 4am (Then stayed awake till I gave up and took him downstairs at about 6am) He doesn't cry really. Just keeps spitting his dummy out then crying for it back. He'll drop off for 5minutes and spit it out again and cry for it back!
I've tried giving him a bottle (Which he takes) but then he doesn't want the next bottle as he didn't really need the one in the night! He is staying on the same percentile so he hasn't had a growth spurt. He is 13lb 6oz(at 10 weeks) How do I get him to sleep thru the night again!