Nov 2007..... Once we pop, we will not stop!!!

[sparklygothkat]

I can finally start this, as someone else has had her baby.. woohooo!

SparklyGothKat - 25 Sep (8 Nov) BOY - Callum Eden
KaylaBMummy ? South Wales - 18 Oct (8 Nov) GIRL - Katie

RG - hope it's just a cold. You really don't need this with DP and his chicken pox as well

Pixie - glad Swyn seems to be doing better

LOM - glad yr finally here

Iris/Loopy - know what you mean about getting to know these babies. I'm starting to recognise different cries. Her little gummy smiles absolutely melt my heart - she does them mainly at me, usually to dh when he comes in from work but once at a radiator

I've got a confession - I've bought the contented baby book this afternoon. Needed some advice on how to reset Megan's sleeping pattern. She has become nocturnal in the last week and is getting herself (and an exhausted mummy) in such a state. This isn't a case of waking throughout the night for a feed. She has been awake ALL night - she's only 5 weeks old and surely shouldn't be awake for 6/7 hours at a time.

Some good advice in the book about not letting them get over tired. Seemingly once they are it is v difficult to rectify it and they fight sleep (that seems to be what's happening). Bit shocked that the suggestion is she should only sleep about 4 1/2 hours during the day. She sleeps way more than that at the moment - how much are your LOs sleeping?

forgot to say

Jarm - congrats on the breastfeeding

Fiona - good to see Anabel is putting on weight

Jet - v restrained with the champers

morning all still no festive decorations up chez iris (everything takes 3 times as long now and it sort of dropped off the "important" list yesterday MUST get them up today)

Silkcushion - lol at your confession we all need whatever help we can get (I got The No Cry Sleep Solution when DS1 wasn't sleeping) I hope it works for you.

RGPargy - how are you feeling today?

Morning lovely glamerous ladies

Sara woke me up at 6:45am. After feeding her, I mustered up all my willpower and came downstairs to have a go at expressing. DH and DS are still tucked up in bed.

Was worth it though because I produced 2oz in 20 mins compared to 1oz the other day. I know it's not a huge amount, but if I keep at it, it should increase. No point expressing for a longer period because I just haven't got the time.

RG - how are things today? Your symptoms do sound like mastitis - although I haven't had it so I don't know what it's like first hand. My NCT friend had it and was put on antibiotics. Did make BF pretty awful for a week or 2, but saw her on thurs and she was completely over it. I think it's intense but clears up quickly once it's treated.

I hope it's just a cold anyway hugs

Silk - LOL @ Megan smiling at the radiator She sounds very friendly! I must admit Sara's smiles knock me for 6. Even heard her giggle the other day - she was just staring into space and had herself a little chuckle. I could have melted into a pile of mush on the spot.

Mind you, there wasn't much melting going on yesterday evening - she was all grizzly for a couple of hours again. Was fighting to get at her milk, but would start crying after a couple of sucks. Don't know if it was related to the fact that she had been using her dummy before that?

Was very grumpy with DH yesterday . Must remember to be all sweetness and light today.

Pixie - so glad to hear about Swyn's progress. Feel for you honey - it's so stressful when they don't put weight on. I hope Sparkly's young man is doing well.

Jetgirl - thanks for the info. I hope our local nurseries offer a little discount for 2 siblings. Have broadly worked out that the busy bee vouchers that DH is entitled to may mean a saving of £80 a month on childcare. Plus DS will be entitled to his '5x2.5hours a week free nursery time' from September so that will reduce the cost again. Plus if I can persuade whichever employer I end up with to join the busy bee scheme, we could potentially save another £80 a month with my entitlement.

It's all looking less scary now

Loopy - go and register that daughter of yours.

LOM - you sound like you've fallen hook, line and sinker for your young man I hope you're getting plenty of rest dear - like somebody else said, the tiredness can catch up on you after a few days if you don't pace yourself for the first days/weeks after birth. Especially after a section.

Lecture over.

I can't wait to see you as a brand spanking new mummy!

Details when you have time please.

I think my dh should win some sort of award. he was my hero last night. He sent me into the spare room for a decent night's kip and said he'd sort Megan out.

This is despite him getting 5 hrs sleep the night before and doing a days work (after a v long week of work).

He did v well at settling her and she was much better between 10.30 and 1.30 ( a few grizzles) but by 5.30 this morning I think she had broken his spirit We swapped over cos he said she wouldn't go back to sleep.

Do I tell him I got her to settle and she didn't wake until 8.45?

I'm determined this little monkey will learn the difference between day and night.

Choudru - Megan sometimes giggles when she's falling off to sleep. It's lovely - they are so cute

Rg - thinking of you honey x

Hope the rest of you have a good day

Morning everyone.

LOM - congrats!!! Looking forward to pics and your story!

Well I spent alot of time last night pushing the milk out of my boobs. They both seemed to be quite hot so i did both. The hotness left them pretty quickly but my head was and still is quite fuzzy - like when you've got flu. Must admit it's getting better as the day goes on, because yesterday i couldn't even stand up without getting dizzy! I think it must have been mastitis and i've just got the remnants of it now via a headache.

Thankfully Ellie slept from 2am til gone 7am so i managed to get some good rest in.

Thanx for all your help and support yesterday.

With regard to laughing, Ellie sometimes looks like she's laughing when she goes off to sleep. I quite often wonder how she can know how to laugh in her sleep but not when she's awake coz she's not old enough?!

Will try and catch up with all your news a bit later when my head's not so poundy.

xx

You take it easy RGP - thats an order.

We had a good night, Daniel settled at 10pm, I woke HIM at 3.30am because I needed to feed or my boobs were going to explode, and that was him then until 6.45am! AM so chuffed!

Have had a nightmare morning though, DH and my dad have a buffet to do for tonight (they are both chefs and its a cash in hand job) so have been out all morning at cash & carry, and then will be out all afternoon now too.

Im here with Daniel and DD2, they have taken DD1 with them, so i thought i would brave town - BIG MISTAKE. Daniel slept for 30mins and then SCREAMED from me entering Boots and then getting the bus home - there was just nowhere for me to have fed him in town, and its a good job because i fed him as soon as i got home and he camped out on the boob for nearly an hour! Hence he is asleep again now!

DD2 is chilling on the sofa in front of cbeebies so thought i would catch up on here.

Am very confused about EBM though - I thought you could only keep it for 24hrs in the fridge but the Avent leaflet that came with the pump says 48?! Think i will ask on the BF boards!

Take care all of you xxx

one handed typing - do excuse.

choudru - thanks for the advice.the mw kept telling me that in hosp. it wasn't until i passed out i believed her - we are all taking it very easy. I'll call you when we are up and about.

fyi - my friend has amazing childminder I'll ask her for dets. Also, there's a big local chain of nurseries which should be avoided won't say here but if i don't let you know remind me- brian is addled

Fiona - glad to know it isn't just me. if it had stoppedand restarted i would have been fine as i could have slept but it didn't let up at all. I had no clue it may take that long c'os non of the literature even suggested it might.
it was all rather traumatic.

anyone know about bunny or ara
anyway - he is totally gorgeous bf is going very well - he feeds for 15 -30 mins then is zonked for 3 hours. he needs constant cuddling which is understandable as i do too. dh is totally smitten

rg - hope you feel better soon - poor you

silk glad megan likes her radiator

lol -my brain is addled - i don't even have a brian

Sounds like a proper love-in session going on at your house LOM Ooooh - I wonder which nurseries you are referring to? Let me know via e-mail/text/in person when you have time. I have just spent some time downloading a load of ofsted reports so I have some interesting reading to do.

RG - glad to hear you feel slightly better - probably helped a lot by Ellie allowing you some sleep. What a loyal little daughter Bless!

JARM - sorry to hear about the nightmare trip out. Very brave of you to go it alone though!

It's so cute to hear about our babies having little giggles. They do our heads in and they go and turn us into simpering fools.

Have a lovely evening all.

Hi all.

LOM- Glad you are enjoying your baby. Love the name by the way.

Anabel has been very grizzly all day. DH came home from work a few hours ago so we took her out for a walk to save all our sanity. She has had 4 great nights sleep in a row so maybe tonight it will all hit the fan.

Jarm- you can keep EBM for about 5 days in the main part of the fridge.

Hiya everyone! think its about time i joined this thread thanx RG for the link!) as its been two weeks tomorrow since Raimee was born!!

Congrats LOM! am made up to hear your LO is here! sounds adorable, i need to catch up SO much!

has anyone got any tips for cracked nipples at all? RG- i think i must have got lazy with my latching as it had all been going brilliantly! either that or now theyve gone flatter as theyre no longer engorged and maybe thats making it more difficult- ive noticed if i start with a shield on or express a little bit first and then put her straight to the erect nipple it makes it easier ! sorry if tmi! it is so painful, am trying a ton of lansinoh and differing positions- the cradle one under arm seems the best at the moment, but i just really want them to hurry up and heal! any advice would be really welcomed!

x

Sam - sorry I haven't got any useful advise - being an amateur breastfeeder myself. Good luck with it though - I'm sure there are quite a few people on the thread who've suffered cracked nipples so no doubt you'll be getting lots of useful advice.

We took DS out to local NCT children's Christmas party. He loved it. DH and I had a nice time as well, chatting to the other parents. Having children is one of the most social things you can do - such a good way of striking up conversation with strangers.

I hope your little angels are behaving this evening. I'm off to watch Strictly come dancing.

sam - sore nips are the pits aren't they. Two solutions: coat your nipples with breastmilk & allow to dry after each feed (free and works) also, lasinoh cream is fab (costs and works) Either way, the cracked nips only last a few days - honest

choudru - I love the random convos that you can have with people when you've got LOs (esp when they compliment yours )

RGPargy - how are you feeling today?

left handed typing they didnt cover this at nct.

just wanted to say hi

were are having a fab time.

Not sure how everyone else is feeling - i'm feeling pretty shit right now -

Sorry to be so blunt but there you go, loving my baby girl but you know.............

Hope you are all enjoying being new mummies x

Evening everyone!

Bit of a late posting here tonight coz i've not really had the opportunity to post previously through one reason or another!

Choudru - glad you enjoyed the NCT party. I should start getting out and about to these things really. Is it just me or is anyone else nervous about taking their baby out into the big wide world?

Iris - Feeling much much better thanx. Ellie didn't get to sleep until about 4.30am this morning (the little moo!) but i slept til 7 ish, then fed her in the bedroom and put her back down and she slept for a good couple of hours more and i ended up getting up at 9.40am, so not too bad really.

MrsJ - sorry you are feeling shit. Sleep deprivation can make you feel like that cant it, plus whatever else having a newborn baby can throw your way too.

LOM - So happy that you are enjoying motherhood. It's truly great isn't it!

Right, think we're going to try and take Ellie upstairs so that DP and i can get into bed. Last night was the first night i'd spent in bed in about 4 days as i've been sleeping on the sofa!! Chicken pox is shit for doing that too!!!

N'night everyone.

Hi all, well after digging in my heels for many week over not giving the formula, we finally gave in last sunday as I was on the verge of giving BF. I was tired, depressed and generally feeling crap, it felt that I was doing so much with expressing feeding and topping up and was seeing no results for all my efforts. We decided to top up with 2 feeds of formula a day.

On tuesday the SCBU nurse came, and said to try a bottle now, so we could get rid of the tube and recommended the NUK bottles. I went and brought one and Callum took to it straight away Callum has been taking all his topups via bottle and is still BF!! I am still expressing but on friday he had gain 12oz and is now 7lb 3oz AND THE TUBE HAS GONE!!! [GRIN][GRIN]

We are not going to keep doing the formula and the topups, as soon as he is big enough and strong enough, we will start to weed them out, and hope he starts to take more from the breast. But in all it been a good-ish week and we are slowly getting there now.

morning all

MrsJ - right there with you. perhaps it's a glos thing? oh no it's no sleep and sore boobs.

sgk - fab news re callum - you must be thrilled - 12oz!!!!!!! well done

rg - you must be exhausted too. hope dp is starting to recover and that ellie gave you a decent night.

curious to know how long these babies are awake during the day? 7am til 11pm

megan - 5 1/2 weeks approx 5/6 hours

Morning all.

A bit of a good night here, Daniel settled at 9pm and I woke him up at 3.50am because my boobs were like rocks and I was leaking all over the place! He settled back to sleep about 4.45am and is still asleep now!

During the day, Daniel is awake for about 4-5hrs total, he is still very sleepy! Last night for example, went to sleep at 5pm, woke at 7.45pm for a feed and was asleep again by 9pm!

callum is still sleepy too, i think they grow more when sleeping..so callum needs lots of sleep

Morning everyone.

Sparkly - FAB news re Callum! Cant believe he's up to 7lbs now! that's great, well done!

Silk - yup, i'm absolutely whacked!! Ellie decided to not let me sleep for more than 3 hours last night. She went off at about 1.30am and then woke me up at 4.30, but then would not go back down for love nor money. In the end i came downstairs at 8am with her, gave her a quick feed, changed her bum and now she's "sleeping like a baby" (whoever came up with that phrase should be bloody shot!!). I think we've found out that she sleeps better when there is background noise, i.e. TV or radio so we've been putting the radio on really quietly when we go to bed and she goes off fine (famous last words!). I think last night tho the radio was switched off after a while and when she woke she wouldn't go back again because there was no radio on. I didn't want to put it back on again tho coz i dont think DP sleeps too well with it on.

Ellie is hardly ever awake really. I'd say she was awake and looking around for a maximum of an hour every day. The rest of the time she's either feeding or sleeping. Hope that's nothing too unusual.

Now that she's finally doing number twos (only once a day, mind you) they are always runny. Is this normal??? I know the stools are meant to be soft, but this is mostly pure liquid. I'm sure that cant be right? I wanted to ask the mw about it on Saturday but she had the discourtesy NOT TO TURN UP after i'd waited in the entire day for her. I'm not best pleased! Manners cost nothing, do they?

DJarm - at Daniel's sleeping last night. Did you take all the sleepy vibes and not leave any spare for Ellie?

DP is starting to recover now from his chicken pox. He's still very spotty, but they are at least starting to crust over, thankfully!

X-Factor - what a bloody con!! There's no way that Leon should have won. He's got an average voice and isn't anything special. I certainly wouldn't want to buy any of his records etc. Rhydian however has a fantastic voice and brilliant stage presence and more than deserved to win it. Still i think Rhydian will be the one who does better out of it all than anyone else. It's not every day Andrew Lloyd Webber re-writes a piece of his music for someone!!!

Anyway, enough waffling and self pity from me. I'm off to stuff my face with chocolate of some sort.

Hi been having inlaws here and they were a bit of a nightmare and no time, so I've skimread posts... but...

RG hope you're better! Mastitis sounds awful

Sparkly well done! good on little Callum

Silk - Rebecca is nearly 5 weeks and sleeps during the day for a max of 4 hours and minimum of no hours! She isnt a good daytime sleeper at all. She is okay at night - 11 or 12 till about 3 and then 4 30 till 6/7. But she just doesnt seem to need much sleep!

For whoever was asking about the swing, it's the Fisher Price Rainforest swing, currently 79.99 in Toysrus (reduced from 99.99) and it's absolutely brilliant. There is also a cheaper takeaway version with fewer features that looks good too. I wholeheartedly recommend it - when Rebecca's grizzly she cheers up in the swing!

LOM, you sound sooooo loved up - cute!

I am shattered - providing endless cups of tea and meals and listening to inlaws is tiring! They kept criticising my feeding technique (one breast per feed) saying she would sleep better if I used both, her sleeping, her lack of routine, her weight (50th percentile equals chubby in my inlaws books) etc. Grr. Oh well. Now car is in the garage so we are at home waiting for a call to see if it's fixed.

Have a good day all and missed you for the last FOUR DAYS (can't believe it - withdrawal symptoms)!