Ttc first baby catch up with our babies!

[Fivebyfive2]

Just putting this on in case anyone wants to catch up? We're all at different stages, so might be able to help each other out?

@Delilah7 @RanchoRelaxo @MrsR16 @thumper59 @trashkitten10 @Bostonfern @crossfitgirl sorry I know I'm missing people, I'm blaming newborn brain!

I'll leave the link on the 'pregnancy' catching up thread xxx

@LokiCat Ah, huge congratulations lovely. Sounds like you’ve already had quite a week! So, I had two very sleepy newborns and I initially would let them sleep and feed on cue but really I shouldn’t have done, it turns out they were so sleepy because they weren’t drinking enough so didn’t have much energy. So for the first few weeks if they hadn’t woken for a feed within 3 hours I did wake them and fed them. We stopped after they had hit their birth weights again (my two lost an awful lot at first - it’s a long horrible story but I’m pleased to say they’re fine now!) I hope you’re all doing okay.
My boys also initially had day and night confusion. Nothing worked on them really, they just grew out of it after a few weeks! The only thing I really did was during the day I made the rooms very bright, all windows/curtains open etc, then at night time made it dark. Whether it helped or not I have no idea haha, but like I say at about 4-5 weeks they just figured it out for themselves.

@purplefig A birthday plan sounds like...a plan haha! I so hope by 3 June we’ll be able to do something but I’m trying not to get my hopes up. If we end up at home with babes in bed, fish and chips and bottle of wine, well that’ll do me.

@Fivebyfive2 Oh what a fab pic of Joe! Sounds like he had an interesting night - hope you’re not too tired today!

We moved the twins in to their actual pram seats this week as Ruairí had outgrown the carrycot. I can’t cope with how fast the newborn stage went! As tough as it was (and some days I just wished I could fast forward to 12 weeks!) now it’s gone I miss it, miss the sleepy snugs. I can’t believe the boys are almost 13 weeks! We got them these fab charity baby grows this week; I’m gonna make them a little time capsule of their weeks in lockdown and add these to it!

@lokicat, congratulations and oh my what a beautiful name!! Xx

@purplefig, yeah we're ok thanks, Joe has been quite clingy with me the last couple of days but it's not like we've anywhere to be so I'm just rolling with it! We added a new element to his bedtime routine; pre bed rub down with Johnsons bedtime baby lotion! Smells nice and his skin seems smoother already 😀

@MrsEG, I absolutely love their t shirts!! Do they like the pram seats? Joe's still (just about) in his carrycot at the moment, but probably won't be long until we swap him over. I bet they like being able to see more 🙂

So since Joe hit the regression and apparently forgot how to get himself to sleep, we've kept trying, mostly with no success. Tried it this afternoon, fully expecting him to not be having it... Put him in his moses basket (also about to be outgrown I think!) put his Rain Sounds on... 2 mins later he's fast asleep and that was an hour ago! He's coughed and stirred a few times, but just sucked his fingers and stayed asleep 😴 Hopefully this is the start of him remembering how to settle himself?! 🙏🤞

@LokiCat - congratulations again! Definitely wake her up to sleep every 2-3 hours. We had a problem with weight loss too after birth and I’m only just starting to let him go up to 4 hours between feeds.

@purplefig - I’m so pleased you had a lovely birthday! It sounds like they’ve been so thoughtful and it’s very well deserved 😊

So after me starting to feel better about Finn’s noises, he woke up really congested today and has a cough. No idea where he could have gotten any of this from, so I’m trying to not stress but it’s really difficult.
Gutted, as I was having a really happy confident day with him and now feel like I’m back to worried.

@ELW85, when we saw the Dr at hospital the other night she said it's really common in babies and could even just be the rapidly changing weather. Try not to worry too much. Xx

@fivebyfive2 - thank you! I’d just gotten much head round maybe Finn’s noises were normal and maybe he doesn’t have really bad reflux affecting his voice to now thinking the congestion and cough are signs of it and I’m an awful mother who has ruined his voice 😢

Fingers crossed it is just a cold and it goes away soon!
Is Joe’s cough quite constant/regular?

And I’m really pleased all is ok with you! Xx

@ELW85 If you’re really worried, call 111. They’ve always been fantastic with me. Once I genuinely ended up in A&E as they were screaming for hours and hours and their temps were over 38. Turns out it was colic; when a baby cries their temp naturally goes up. At the hospital their temps were like 37 and they were bloody fast asleep. I was so embarrassed but absolutely everyone was wonderful about it - they take you very seriously when they’re newborns. If it eases your mind even a little Ruairí sounded congested genuinely for the first 10 weeks, I had the full works - saline spray, vapour drops, snot sucker. He’s grown out of it now and the GP said it can just be their new lungs adapting - the lungs are the last thing to fully develop. It could also be the weather and changing seasons, apparently. No one I spoke to was ever in the least bit concerned but I obsessed about it! But honestly, if it’s a worry call 111 they’ll be fab.

@Fivebyfive2 They absolutely love the seats. They love having a good look around! And they nap like a dream in it too. They never really napped properly in the carrycots! Ah go Joe - Ruairí fully self soothes sucking his hand and thumb!

@ELW85, you're an awesome mother! His cough is like short bursts throughout the day really. 111 were fantastic when we called so definitely hit them up if you're worried xxx

@Fivebyfive2 @MrsEG - thank you both ❤️
Been doing a lot of digging and reflecting in the sleepless night I’ve just had...Finn is definitely suffering with silent reflux; he could not sleep last night for the first time ever and was coughing and choking on what I imagine to be the acid he’s bringing back up. I’ve basically had him in my arms all night.
Gonna start the Gaviscon today and talk to the doc tomorrow; it’s now affecting his sleep and breathing so I think more needs to be done.
How they tell people to ride this out is beyond me!

I hope you’ve all had better nights xx

@ELW85 you can get anti reflux formula and many are meant to be very good - my friend swore by the SMA reflux formula for her little girl, made an immediate difference. Hope he’s feeling better soon!

Sorry ladies, I just need to unload... Joe hasn't slept more than 3 hours for the last 3 nights, we think because of his cold which is still no better. I want to call the gp today but worried I'll just seem neurotic. I miss sleeping, having time to chill in the evening and I really miss my mum. I'm sick of dhs mum facetimingand and making me feel irrelevant at best (constantly going 'nananan' and 'dadadad') and inadequate at worst - 'why isn't he sleeping, you should put him in his own room, you should let him cry, maybe your breastfeeding isn't enough for him'... JUST F OFF!!! Sorry to rant, just feeling really down. Hopefully today and tonight will be better!

How is everyone? Xxx

@fivebyfive2 - morning, and I totally get it. I’m in a similar boat hassling the GPs again this morning. We aren’t neurotic; we’re devoted FTMs trying to do the best for our babies which is challenging at normal times but nigh on impossible now.
You’re doing an amazing job and follow your instinct. Get Joe checked out and ignore the rest. Nobody is in your shoes but you and you need to do the right thing for you and your little one xx

@MrsEG - thank you! Still going back and forth in my mind on the reflux, but it’s his noises that seem really odd to me. When he moves or gets picked up etc, he makes the strangest noises. It can’t be normal!

@MrsEG gorgeous pic of the boys! Your birthday plan sounds perfect, but like you say I'm sure by June you'll have a few more options. At least I hope you will! Love the idea of a time capsule too - no doubt they'll be studying this in school and what a cool thing to have.

@Fivebyfive2 we've got the Johnson's baby lotion too - I think it's one of those iconic baby products isn't it?! Had Joe previously been a fairly decent sleeper? I'm dreading the 4 month regression! Your MIL sounds dreadful - can you ask DH to arrange facetime calls for when you're having some alone time so you don't have to hear that nonsense? Go and have a nice glass of wine in the bath instead! I really miss my mum too, it sucks doesn't it? It will end though, I just have to keep reminding myself of that.

@ELW85 has the Gaviscon helped at all? Thinking of you x

How was everyone's weekend? Ours was good, it's fab having DH around all day on Sat + Sun, makes such a difference. I just feel like they whizz by too quickly.

How's everyone feeling in themselves post-baby? I tried on my old jeans a few weeks back and was so chuffed they fit, but I hopped on the scales today and got quite a shock. Remembered why I don't weigh myself...! I'm trying really hard to walk the fine line between caring about my health (my BMI is now overweight) and not beating myself up / expecting too much / encouraging unhealthy behaviours (all of which I have a great track record of). x

@purplefig, Joe wasn't a great sleeper at first, but from about 10 or 12 weeks started doing loads better out of nowhere. For a few weeks he did 8pm till 2am, then 2.30 till about 6 and was even getting to sleep himself! Then he had his 4 months jabs, the regression hit and it all went to pot. He was starting to do a bit better, doing 4 to 5 hours and even 7 hours once! Then he got the cold and his gammy eyes and it's worse again. I'm really hoping once he's feeling better, his sleep will improve 🤞🙏 Dh is good, he shuts his mum down, but it's still disheartening to know she basically thinks I'm doing things wrong.

@ELW85, thank you! I think I will call them today. I hope you get some answers soon about the reflux. Xx

@Fivebyfive2 Oh hun! Could you go and see the pharmacist? They are still open near me and that’s where I go for Ruairí’s congestion. We have the calpol saline spray and the snuffle babe snot sucker and it keeps him fairly happy.

@ELW85 He really sounds so like Ruairí!! He always makes funny grunting sounds when I pick him up or lower him down. I think I notice them more because he has a twin next to him that doesn’t do it! I used to always ask the HV about reflux and all I can tell you is what she told me, that when it’s reflux you really know about it 🤷‍♀️ I’m keeping my fingers crossed for Finn that it’s just newborn grog and he’ll grow out of it!

@purplefig I am so with you on this. The twins have left me with really severe diastasis recti, when they were 8 weeks I was assessed and the gap between my abs was 7.5cm. I may yet need surgery :( It means I have no muscle to keep everything in so everything just sort of ‘spills out’, I constantly look about 5 months pregnant and it gets worse when I eat etc (nothing to hold the bloat in). But literally just the past week I’ve tried to make sure I’m doing my physio exercises every day and have made a conscious effort with my meals and this morning noticed I’d lost 3lb in a week. I also have a history of disordered eating so weighing myself isn’t something I like to make a habit of but it just made me feel like I am on the right track! But bloody well done for getting in to those jeans. Jeans are a long, long way off for me!!

The boys are 3 months old today and are celebrating by having a big growth spurt that is massively affecting their sleep!! I’ve had two nights now with very unsettled boys. Having very lazy days indeed!

@ELW85, how did you get on talking to the Dr?? Xx

@MrsEG, hope you have a better night tonight. Growth spurts, regressions, leaps, illness... It's all fun 😂

Had a good day today! Went for a 2 hour walk, Joe had some decent naps, we had pizza for lunch and watched a film. Dr gave us nose drops and said to give calpol at night - I stupidly thought we couldn't give him calpol as his temp has been OK but apparently he can have a bit to help the cold symptoms! He's asleep now in his snuzpod, I'm eating biscuits in bed 😋

Here is a pic of sort of sitting, with support. He luchrd forward a few seconds later, but dh was there to catch him!

@stormtrooperjulian glad your all well. He is gorgeous! Don't they grow so fast.

@lokicat congratulations! Well done you. I did follow the feed schedule for about 7-10 days until he was putting weight on nicely (which he did from being born) but he tended to wake up for one anyway. After about 10 days I let him get me up during the night instead of the other way around.

@MrsEG they grow out of stuff at a rapid rate from now! Freddie is my fave age so far every single day he is doing more, but I also sometimes miss those newborn sleepy days! The boys look fab.

@Fivebyfive2 sorry your in- laws are annoying. Mine are fab luckily! I feel like I got a good pick. Hope joe is sleeping a bit better for you

@purplepig. I don't like my body post baby at all I'm really conscious of it. I'm now only 3lb heavier then I was post baby but my body is so different! I'm looking forward to getting back to the gym sometime in the future and hopefully toning everywhere up!

Just a few pics of my little man before his walk yesterday. I know I am bias, but I can't believe how bloody stunning he is 😍 and that I grew him, in my own belly! And one of us from when it was sunny a few weeks ago. Excuse my lockdown hair! I don't know what is going on at the min 😂

@Fivebyfive2 We had a much better night last night thank god! Conor slept through and Ruairí just had a little fuss around 4am. I feel so much better for it today! Sorry to hear your in-laws are such twats too, mine have been a bit challenging. One of the boys looks so like my FIL and they’re obsessed with him, to the point I feel they ignore the other. And they never ever ask how I am. And once on a FaceTime call C was fussing and they were like ‘Emma are you not gonna go to him?’ Piss off.

@thumper59 Oh he is so gorgeous! How old is he now? I feel like that - clearly they are the most beautiful boys in the world, no other babies have ever come close to their handsomeness haha!! I think your hair looks fab. I look like I’ve been dragged through a bush!

So today I have to be tested for COVID!! I have been a part of the C19 tracker app for the research that is being done on symptoms, I’ve felt fine the whole time but this week put in that my legs have felt quite achey and they contacted me about it. Long story short they’d like me to be tested as a research volunteer so they can see it it is a symptom! Bricking it now. I hope so badly for a negative result!!

@MrsEG oh no I hope it's negative! Poor you, what stress 😔.
Freddie is 6 months on Thursday! It's absolutely flown. I've found the last month or so had the most changes, it's been the most fun so far but I also think the most challenging! His little personality is really coming out which is so cute but he also has a demon side 😂 he fights naps and gets so angry I've actually just got him down for one now! Think it's heightened by being stuck in though as I'm not really a stay at home person I love being out and about but just not happening at the min! X

@MrsEG, that must be nerve wracking, my bro is being tested this week as he works at an Ocado warehouse and they're all being tested; I know he's a bit nervous too. Thinking of you xx Your in laws sound like mine! To be fair, fil isn't too bad actually, it's (shockingly!) mil that winds me up. It's weird, they separated just before lockdown, so are living together but apart. We have to face time them separately, so it's twice the fun 🙄

@thumper59, love the pics!! I agree with how fast it's going, can't believe Joe is 5 months next week 😮

Well the drama continues here! Our cat is ill, dh is at work so my dad came to take him to the vets. I spent 20 mins getting him in the carrier (thankfully Joe was asleep in his bed!) and put him in the porch so dad could collect. He dropped some bits off my mum had sent round too, so it was like a cold war pow swap 😂

@Fivebyfive2 oh gawd that worries me - M is where Joe was at around 10 weeks!! I've got high hopes that once his cold improves things will improve. Sleep deprivation is brutal isn't it?! Big hugs mama. And lots of coffee. Glad to hear Joe had a bit of sleep with the calpol. And sending lots of positive vibes that your kitty cat is OK.

@MrsEG Oh that sounds really uncomfortable - I really hope it doesn't come to surgery for you. Huge congrats on managing to shift 3lbs in a week though - that is major. Isn't DH a PT? Would he be able to put together a postpartum workout schedule to help with the DR? Like you, I'm going to start making more of a conscious effort with food as I'm currently just chowing down on whatever is lying around in between feeds/naps/play time! It's a weird one though because I don't hate the way my body looks (and I honestly will be forever in awe of it growing and birthing a human!) but I just hate being in the 'overweight' category and worry about the health implications of that. But like you, I have a past of disordered habits so I have to be really careful in my approach as I could so easily become obsessive (particularly in this lockdown situation where there is little else to focus on). Just seen your news about being tested for COVID19 too...fingers crossed it's negative. Do you get the results?

@thumper59 Freddie is such a cutie! Yes I think exercise is really helpful for making your body feel strong again, at least that is my main concern. I feel so weak!

Question about day time napping: So M is a fairly decent sleeper at the mo. Last feed at 10pm, then wake-up time is 6/7am with one wake-up around 3/4am for a feed. She also naps really well during the day - usually 3 - 5 naps. Up until this week she was happily taking those day naps upstairs in her nursery in moses basket - but this week she won't tolerate being left alone at all. She is only happy if she is napping on us. Any ideas????

She's going through her third leap according to the WW app, so it could be that. I really don't mind as DH is home and can have her on the breastfeeding pillow while he works and I can have her in the sling. But it would be good if we could eventually get back to her napping in her moses basket.

@purplefig Yes we had a nap regression a few weeks ago! They actually just wouldn’t bloody nap anywhere. Blackout has worked for us, I got a snoozeshade for the pram and a GroAnywhere stick on blackout blind for their nursery. They won’t nap anymore unless the room is completely, midnight dark. But it worked! Back to solid 2-hour naps since.
Yeah DH has helped a little but DR is quite complex, you can make it a lot worse with so many exercises! So he instead signed me up to a qualified DR programme. I’ve actually been good and done it every day this week!! Yep I agree - I need to lose quite a bit of weight to get my BMI
healthy again so I just want to focus on doing that as sensibly as I can! I should get my COVID results by Friday. I’m so sure I don’t have it though!

@Fivebyfive2 Hope your cat is okay! It’s so horrid when your pets are poorly.

Boys are finally back to sleeping through!! I feel like this little growth spurt has at least prepared me for the 4 month sleep regression, but Christ I’m knackered. They are also absolutely obsessed with their hands at the moment! I can’t cover them at all anymore or they go ballistic haha. It’s so much fun at the moment, their personalities are just coming out so much!

Thanks for the cat related well wishes. Got some cream for his eyes and we're keeping a close eye on him. He's not eating much so I'm a bit worried, but hopefully it will pass soon.

@purplefig, Joe naps where ever to be honest! Sometimes in the pram, other times in his basket downstairs or in his cot upstairs. Sometimes I just let him nap on me if he's upset and we're having a chill day (another thing that apparently means I should be looking out for my 'worst mum of the year' award in the post!) We plan to get a bit more structured for sleep overall once he's six months and I can feel happy leaving him to sleep on his own. I know I sound nuts about that, but can't help it!

@MrsEG, omg the hands!! Nothing makes babies happier than hands I think 😂 Joe sucks his fingers now, we say he's munching his Cadbury fingers! Xx

@MrsR16, how are you and Ethan doing? Xx

Hey ladies, sorry I've been awol again...

@Fivebyfive2 we're not doing too bad. Today has been horrendous though! Ethan's been really sad and grizzly and needy! I've done the grand total of bugger all other than look after him today 😂 which I know is a majorly special thing, but with lockdown (and I seriously think it's affecting me more than I think it is) I'm so desperate to get the house clean, things put away and it's just not happening! Ethan's been really upset all evening, cried himself to sleep (not because I was letting him - just because he was sad!), woke up crying, still cried and still isn't overly happy, although at least he's now just sat chilling with DH!

What doesn't help is that I saw a family come out of our neighbours' house yesterday, with a teeny tiny baby. It made me unbelievably cross that they are taking the risk while I'm choosing to follow the guidelines and Ethan's missing out on cuddles with grandparents and I'm missing out on adult conversation with anyone other than DH (love him to bits, but I need to hear other people occasionally)...

Sorry ladies, just needed a bit of a rant! 😂 normal MrsR16 service will be resumed at some point in the near future, I promise!

@MrsR16, same here with the lockdown feelings! Sorry to hear Ethan has been a crabby baby (as my nan would say!) Hopefully tomorrow (or today even!) will be better.

Well! I'm not sure wtf is happening here... Joe slept OK last night and had a good nap this morning. His afternoon nap was only 30 mins, but I figured OK, I'll try to re settle. Didn't happen. Late afternoon came, still wouldn't settle. Had about half hour about 5ish. We took him to bed around 7 and he fell asleep about 8. Woke up at 9.30, asleep at 10.15. Woke up at 11.30...still awake now at 1am 🤯 We've tried everything; sounds, rocking, boob, bottle, lying next to him, given him calpol in case it's his cold making him uncomfortable, changed him, everything. Thank god dh is off tomorrow /today. Hopefully he goes down soon. He's not even crying, for the most part, he's just wide awake 😕