The March-ers 2019 - Baby Talk #1

[Angelmiracle]

Congratulations to all the mamas with their new babies 🌸

Now the fun really starts 😄

@toastfiend - baby boy - 28/01/2019
@TheWanderlust - Baby girl - Althea - 7lb6oz - 16/02/2019
@PurpleFlower1983 - Baby girl - Matilda - 17/02/2019
@Wineandchoccy - Baby girl - Lois - 6lb12oz - 19/02/2019
@Harley8888 - Baby boy- Logan - 7lb4oz - 01/03/2019

I did jinx it! Little bugger wanted to eat every two hours. So it was one hour of feeding, burping, changing and getting him back to sleep, then one hour of broken sleep, of which last 15 minutes were normally spent trying to keep him asleep. I'm so tired.

I definitely fell asleep with A in my arm this morning. Oops.

I know it’s normal for babies to get little spots but A has so many red spots with white heads all around her eyes. We have to keep her hands covered because she really won’t leave her face and eyes alone. Should I be wiping her eyes more/less? Any tips?

She also rubs her eyes with her covered hands so rubs skin off them and her baby grow has been in her mouth, etc.

@Sheeni oh no! You must be exhausted... as soon as you get into some kind of 'routine' & expect something they throw you a curveball, don't they? daytime naps are tricky, I can usually nod off as long as I have at least 45mins uninterrupted. That gives me 20mins to listen to one of my sleep visualisation / relaxation tracks & have a bit of a daydream. I spent the last few hours trying to nap after waking up DH at 7am but DS was having none of it - he'd make a fuss every 20 mins or so which was just time for me to get relaxed & groggy & resent having to get up to feed him, but not long enough to actually get much sleep. On the 3rd attempt I managed a short nap but by 10am am to awake to go back to sleep instead. Washed my hair for the first time in over a week instead & was greeted with shrieking baby when I go out & a stressed DH. So now am feeding baby with dripping wet hair and only half dressed. The joy! The annoying thing is that all week he's had a long sleep each morning g after DH leaves for work but I haven't had a chance to nap so have been looking forward to today when I could have a 'lie in'. I think the feeling of shattered expectations is almost the worst part of it - I feel tired & sorry for myself now instead of just tired! Sorry for the moan but nice to be able to vent!

@cardboard33 @BadBadBeans @AssumeItWasSomethingClever Hope you made it through the night okay! I googled 'night dread baby' and it turns out it's a real thing so we're definitely not alone. DS woke up at 11pm, 2:15, 3:50 & then finally at 6:45. The 2:15 was for over an hour and then I fell asleep for 30mins or so while he was awake and babbling at the ceiling. In total I got 5 hours sleep but it was so broken up that I just don't feel rested. And after almost 6 weeks it's starting to wear me down. The worst thing was that I recounted the night's timetable to DH & he then had the nerve to say we'd had a 'good night'!! I know it could be a LOT worse but I wouldn't exactly say it was 'good'... . Anyway, I know he was just trying to say something positive to lift the mood but I wasn't really feeling it!

@BadBadBeans Mainlining chocolate sounds like just what we all need. I ate half an M&S cherry pie & custard after dinner, followed by 3 cereal & nut bars during the night (not the healthy type!) and am about to have some flapjack for breakfast as the banana I ate didn't hit the spot & there's nothing else around I can eat with one hand (or that's my excuse anyway)!

@cardboard33 well done on the outing & taking the tube- that's impressive. We haven't braved that yet, though have done a few busses without too much incident. I agree the lack of level access is really shocking. Also lack of toilets with space to change a baby when out and about in general. I'm looking forward to it being a bit warmer so I can just change him on the ground / in the pram while outside...

@shiny888 Thanks for the encouragement & sending it right back atcha! If only we could swap places with our DHs for just a few days so that they understood what it's like... maybe one day they'll find a way to make them grow breasts too so that we could share the fun!

@Gronk27 DS has baby acne - some days it gets worse, particularly towards the end of the day when he's rubbed it a bit. Some are whitehead pimples, others just red spots & there are a few on his neck & back as well. Midwife has a look & said to just use water on cotton wool & to go to the GP if they start to bleed or look infected. At night we pull the mits over on his babygro to stop him thrashing about as much & I think this stops the scratching too.

@CaseofEllen That sounds really tough... not sure what to suggest but hope it's just a phase that passes soon. Have you heard about 'Wonder Weeks'? It could be that your LO is going through a 'leap' which is making him more clingy.

@kar88 thanks! Did the MW say how often?

I’m also mainlining chocolate and pretty much anything sweet! DS has had a bit of a cranky few days - pretty much just crying whenever I’m not holding him - but it was obviously some kind of developmental leap because he has learned a new skill: smiling! He’s now giving the biggest, heart melting grins. So, worth it! (Just...)

@Gronk27 I'm not sure if she did but in general I think we were advised to 'top & tail' him twice a day so I imagine that would be a good start... with DS' sticky eye we sometimes do a third during the day (but not going to lie we haven't done many baths & our top & tailing is quite sporadic - need to up our game but it all seems like such an effort just to boob & nappy him).

Thanks everyone! I'm definitely going to have a bath tonight. So frustrating how you seem to get different advice according to what midwife/doctor you talk to!

DH did the early morning feeds last night as he was out with friends yesterday and is out today to "wet the baby's head" . Trying not to be resentful.
G woke up at 12.45 and went back to sleep at 1.30 and then woke up again at 5 but didn't get back to sleep until 8. I took over from 6 as DH had somehow used 4 bottles for 2 feeds and covered the bed in milk. I swear he did it on purpose. 😂
Baby is now asleep on me again and I'm debating whether or not to nap with him or get myself some lunch in peace.

@SquirtlesMumAgain I've not been on here much this week and still catching up. Just wanted to say so so sorry for your loss. We are all here for you and sending my love and sympathies xxxx

This child is pushing all my buttons today. Up until today he'd always fall asleep when in pram. Well, not today. We've been out for 2 hours and he fell asleep 5 minutes from the house on the way back. Altogether he slept maybe 7 hours today (counting from midnight). Mums with children that sleep all day - I'm still accepting advice/tricks/anything!

Also, we got a sling yesterday and DH tried it a couple of times (I'm still too scared and get too stressed out when trying to put the LO in). I think we have him in the correct position (legs in M shape, face up, head close enough to kiss etc), but he breathes funny? Noisily, bit phlegmy, snoring a bit too. Is this normal? If not, any ideas what we might be doing wrong?

@karbb we changed him on the grass (with a changing mat under him) in one of the royal parks near us when it was sunny a few weeks ago, so have already ticked that off the list!! You're right though, I've barely paid attention to things like changing facilities so have no idea where is good for it! We've been on the bus/local trains pretty much daily since week one and I'm doing it solo next week so wanted a test run. How did you find buses? You're London as well I think?

Had another night where he had a really stuffy nose and would only sleep upright on us. Similar story today, spent the last 6+ hours on a cycle of feed, change, feed, change with him spitting out the dummy constantly and just crying loads so now doing skin to skin in the hopes of getting him to sleep. He's currently partially asleep and excitedly wriggling on my breast which is leaking all over him as it presumably thinks he's feeding!!! @hermadgesty we've had a lot of partial smiles recently so holding out for the big reveal, hopefully soon!! I think yours was an early march baby too?

Question: when it comes to milestones/leaps are the weeks from when baby was born or when the due date was? We've got a 3 week gap as he was literally hours into being "full term" so social wise I assume he's better than a 3 week baby as he's been alive for double the amount of time but with other things he's still only the same "age" as a 3 week old. We are ticking some things off the "week by week" list but not all of them. I realise that it's all just a guide anyway but it'd be useful to know for my own sanity if I should be taking more note of week 3 or week 6 as at this age it's quite a difference!!

@cardboard33 wonder weeks uses your date date for the leaps.

It has been dd1’s party today we have just done it at home. L is feeding like her life depends on it after being passed around all afternoon. I’m soooo tired

cardboard33 It’s from their due date. DD1 was 2 weeks early and had a little friend born only a few days before who was 2 weeks late so they were a month apart with their leaps! Mostly it was pretty accurate but as they get older it defiantly evens out more. DD2 was nearly 3 weeks early so I’m in the same boat as you this time round!

Wineandchoccy Hope the party was a success and that you get some rest soon!

@Gronk27 J has newborn acne all over his neck and the top of his chest, and those aren't areas that he touches so I don't think there is an awful lot you can do to stop it! DS1 had it too and it went away after a couple of weeks.

@cardboard33 yay for outings! I've done London on the underground a couple of times with DS1 when he was small and people were unbelievably helpful - going out of their way to help me with the pushchair up and down flights of stairs (one man actually turned back from the way he was going and came quite a way back with me, bless him). There is an app called Mumderground I think which tells you which stations are pram / pushchair friendly. I ticked a few things off the going out list today - first nappy change outside of house / medical centre (also involved full costume change as he had both vomited and peed through two layers); first breastfeed in public with him; first cafe outing! Managed all that in the space of 90 minutes! Feeling quite buoyed by it - there is light at the end of the tunnel and it involves outings and cake 😁

On the other hand J has been awake and feeding off me on and off since 6.30pm. I can't seem to get him to stay asleep (although he is drifting off in his basket right now so fingers crossed!). I have resorted to a Dawson's Creek box set to keep me awake. (Hadn't watched it in years until recently - I kind of asssumed I would have switched allegiance to Pacey but it turns out I am still a diehard Dawson girl!)

@sheeni it maybe just you notice the breathing more due to position mixed with anxiety about it. Are you gently turning baby's head so neck is straight ish and the side of their head is against your chest (facing out with no fabric blocking obviously)?

I'm having the same issue with DD1 that everyone else seems to be having - the tiredness is making me less patient and she's playing up a little for attention. She was a good kid before so I'm telling myself it's just a phase!

DH is off to the in-laws next weekend for a family party and DDs and I are staying at home. I'm currently going back and forth over whether to pick him up a couple of days later or let him make his own way home. MIL and FIL would like to see the kids but we wouldn't be staying overnight and it's at least an hour and a half drive each way.

I've got anxiety about DD2 being in the car seat that much and we'd probably only be there for five hours or so before we headed home again. It's a silly idea isn't it? Knackering for me and boring for DD1.

DH keeps telling me he HAS to go, and I'm absolutely fine with that (big family birthday), I just don't want to drag two kids - and a dog! - to the other side of the country for the day. Writing it down makes me realise what a silly idea it is, actually...

Thanks ladies!! @lovelyfishy so I guess we've got another 2 weeks until the first leap at 5 weeks... Excellent! Thought we'd got through that now we're at 6 weeks and last week was bad!! I def think he's doing some of the development stuff at the right week though as I recognise my baby more in the description of the 5/6 week baby than I do in the 2/3 week one.

@badbadbeans sounds like you've had a positive few days and all lights involving cake are excellent... It's one of the reasons to go on maternity leave, right?

@wineandchoccy love your description of baby's feeding... Mine is the same, it's so funny listening to his feeding noises, he sounds like an excited hamster.

@mistakenholiday looks like you've got your answer from writing your post. Love it when that happens. Can you arrange to take the family at another point when you can stay for longer? Or would you be able to meet them half way for the day?

We booked our first holiday avec child today. It's not until July and only to a European city but it's progress given husband was so pessimistic about going anywhere ever until a few days ago. Just need to get him a passport sorted now. I'm really excited as I've not been away since November which feels like a lifetime ago. I'm fortunate that I travel a lot with work (will likely change now I have him though as I can pass that buck on) and we/I prioritise travel over other things to spend money on so usually I don't go longer than 5-6 weeks without a trip of some kind. What are other people's holiday plans this year?

@cardboard33 Our holiday plans are to simply take holiday. I wasn't able to travel anywhere the whole pregnancy and somehow everything worked out a bit awkwardly last year, so our last actual holiday was in September/October the year before last. Although not sure how much of rest and relaxation we'll be able to enjoy!