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.

Hi All- very interesting to read how everyones LOs are doing.
Myfairone: My LO refuses to take the bottle too. Have you tried giving someone else it to feed him? I'm trying to get my DD onto a cup now instead. She loves it when I put my glass to her mouth so am trying her on a tommee tippee beaker thing. Hopefully she'll begin to take that.

In regards to sleep: LO has had over a week of refusing to sleep in her cot and only sleeping on us. We've tried to controlled crying, picking up and letting her fall asleep, music, lights but all to no avail! At least she'll sleep on us so we take it in shifts so we get some sleep too. Shes pretty good with naps- needs 3 a day. Usually goes off between 9.30 and 10 for about 45 mins to an hour, then needs ones about 12/1pm for an hour or 2 and then about 4. Today though she missed her 4pm one so I kept her awake and put her down to bed at 6pm. Its now 6.35pm and she is still asleep.... please oh please let it work...... I am sitting here waiting for a cry though!!

She is now 14 weeks old and is really small- no where near wearing 3-6 month clothes yet, and shes got some such lovely stuff I want to put her in! Shes only 11lb 2 bless her!

XXXX

Oh bugger- she woke up. Well- we got 40mins out of her in the cot. DH trying to settle her again now. Might try a bit of controlled crying. Grrrr- so frustrating because on us she will pretty much sleep right through.

Well, we've done 10 mins of crying then calmed her down, done 15 mins and are now on 20 mins. I can hear its just temper but it really frustrating. Glad DH is here as I wouldn't be able to do it. She is screaming so loud I dread to think what the neighbours think. You are right justabout- this is the only way shes going to learn now. I'm too nervous about co- sleeping to be honest and I think that it would cause the same prob as letting her sleep on us.
Never mind- we'll crack it eventually!!
Glad you LO is partaking in an afternoon nap now!
x

I am so proud of my DS and naps that i have to brag about it- he has two 2-hour naps around 9am and 1pm in his cot and he might have a little catnap around 4pm. But it took some training, such as if he woke after 45m (when babies come into light sleep) i would 'convince' him to go back to sleep, by shushing, covering his eyes, stroking him etc. It didn't always work but he would get the message and his naps got longer again. I usually start to wind him down after 1hr 40mins of awake time. Now i usually have to wake him when his next feed is due! Just need to get the nights sorted now!

Well Done Pulapula. Sounds like you've trained him really well!

Well, after 2 hours of controlled crying she is finally asleep (fingers crossed for a while). To be honest, most of the last hour was mainly temper screaming but with longer and longer breaks between. Hopefully will only take us a week or so for her to get the message. The only problem with it taking her 2 hours to go to sleep is that her last feed was 3 hours ago- I wonder if she'll wake soon to be fed?!! Gotta laugh else you'd cry!

Going to have some Jack Bauer therapy now to make me feel better for letting her scream.

Well, shes been asleep an hour and a half so fingers crossed. I'm going to attempt to get some sleep now.
Night night all x

Yey! She didnt wake up til 1.30am! We did a bit more controlled crying and she then slept til 5.40am! Even before she started playing up she would get up at 5 so double result! x

The precious, I got her in the habit of sleeping first, by feeding her to sleep, and after a week or so of doing that, I started feeding her and putting her down awake, and then after that I just put her down to sleep. It worked for us at least. Think the 'No Cry Sleep Solution' I mentioned before was very helpful.

Also have to point out that dd was tiny and so needed her tummy filling far more frequently than ds does who is absolutely enormous.

And did you enjoy the soup MelissaM? Your Cookie was lovely thanks.

Wow Justabout- that was good. 10 and a half hours!
Seren went to bed straight away tonight. I rocked her til she was pretty calm and all but asleep and put her down about 10 to 7 and she is still there now. Shes got a cold though so is probably exhausted.

Is anyone weaning yet? I think Seren is ready to start but not going to until 7 weeks. Is anyone else doing it at 4 months or are you waiting?

I meant 17 weeks

DS is 4 months now, but i aim to start weaning at 6 months as i did with DD. I am excited about doing it though but will try to hold out as it is probably better for his digestive system to wait. I might start preparing some batches of purees soon (apple, pear etc) and freeze them in cubes just so i have a good stock when the time comes.

Morning folks. all of you getting your LOs sleeping all night! Last night we were all woken by a firework at half 12, then LO woke hourly thereafter so a bit bleary eyed today! Things are, however, a bit brighter in the Chubby camp. He let me watch a DVD with OH last night, (well, right until the climax when he started whingeing for a feed so will have to find out tonight, if we manage to get him to sleep anyway!) and he's been much better humoured. Whether it's been the osteopath, the huge amounts of chamomile tea I've been drinking, getting a bit of confidence back by having my mum around or just luck, who knows. The main thing is we've been getting him to sleep at night before the crying starts so really pleased with that.

I'm hoping to continue exclusive BFing until 6 months. He's growing so well I'm hopeful that I can ride out the dreaded 4 month growth spurt and then I'm looking at baby-led weaning. I'll be going back to work around then but OH will be at home. Basically you just let the baby chew on finger foods and if they can pick it up, they can try it. Saves all the blending shenanigans and means we're going at his pace, and in theory should make him less likely to be a fussy eater. Can foresee disaster if OH is left in charge of him with pureed things - urgh!

Well I had no idea the clock were going back this morning and was cursing ds when he woke at 6.30, only we have a DAB alarm that changes the time automatically, so I did actually get 7.5hours sleep!

And we're doing BLW with ds. Did it with DD and it's great. Can't recommend it highly enough.

CSB - glad to hear things are getting better!

4 month growth spurt? Is it famous?

James is already on three meals a day with a pudding at tea time he is very hungry no wonder I wasnt filling him up. He was 14 weeks when I started introducing it he is now 16 weeks. Bu t I know its awfully early and wasnt what I wanted to do really but he was feeding every hour and was still hungry, he is so much more settled and contented now. He will even go 3 and a half hours now LUXURY.

I had a quick look at this BLW as I was curious by your posts and it all sounded quite good until I got to a bit which said you needed to be prepared for mess as LO will most probably play with the food as well as eating it. I'm not a fan of mess, and DD was a tidy eater when using a spoon (either being fed or feeding herself) so I'm not sure its right for me. However DD now doesn't like mess either which is probably down to me! I think I'll do what I did last time with DD which was offer some (non-messy!)finger foods as she sat in her highchair waiting for meals to be prepared.

Try this link for info about BLW. It's a site run by a MNer too.