August 2021 Babies - Running on Caffeine and Baby Smiles

[PurplePansy05]

Welcome to the chattiest post-natal club on MN!

We have welcomed 31 gorgeous new babies together 💖💙 ...

We have filled up several more like a hundred threads in the antenatal birth clubs chat...

...and now we have finally graduated and officially moved to the postnatal birth clubs chat! 🥳

Graduates of the August 2021 (and thereabouts) thread:

@Smurf123 & baby Sophia 💖
@wimbler & her baby boy 💙
@Jessicapebbles & baby Ebony💖
@Inmypjsagain & her baby boy 💙
@PurplePansy05 & baby Leo Alexander 💙
@WinterBabyof89 & baby Rosie 💖
@Winecoffeeteamum & baby Emily 💖
@Ready2020 & baby Rowan 💖
@Magik01 & baby Isaac 💙
@Hoares3 & baby Ellis 💙
@Daffodil21 & baby Elliot James 💙
@sarah13xx & baby Freddie 💙
@MrsB2019x & baby Ella💖
@biscuitcat & baby Rowan 💙
@Whatshouldbemyusername & baby Arya-Nyah 💖
@notinthestarsigns & baby Erin 💖
@Aaaaa1519 & baby Anum 💖
@Angelesque & baby Isaac 💙
@Millymay13 & baby Ethan 💙
@WolfMother326 & baby Alasdair 💙
@BertieBotts & baby Alex 💙
@RandomCatGenerator & baby Solomon 💙
@lucyrp & baby Evelyn Rose 💖
@HopefulB & baby Chloé 💖
@Mmr224 & baby Alasdair 💙
@Smallbean27 & her baby boy 💙
@Fran919 & her baby girl 💖
@Caz1226 & baby Dougie 💙
@Ava50x & her baby boy 💙
@dirtyfries & baby Frankie 💖
@ame88 & baby Lily 💖

Tagging @Dia12, @livingwithbees, @Sheisfee, @Alittlexmasmagic and @LottSE20 in the opening post so you know we're here as and when you wish to rejoin/share your updates 💐

Here we go!

Size 3 (aldi) nappies here! I really liked their smaller sized ones, they were almost exactly the same as pampers but I’d worked out they were 3p per nappy rather than 11p and I do like to change him a lot 😂 The size 3 ones are completely different though, they don’t have the coloured strip down them that changes colour or anything 🙄 We’ve stuck with them just now but don’t know if we will long term, his clothes do seem to be getting wet with them leaking now and again.

@Daffodil21 even when he was tiny I’ve been a bit paranoid about making sure he’s got a full on outfit on when someone comes to visit or we’re out in the pram 🤣 I really have no clue why when I would never have noticed if a baby was in their pyjamas when I’d went to see them 🤔 Now I’m just putting all the clothes on him to try and get through them I think!

Some of his nice sleepsuits from the white company in 0-3 months stopped fitting him at about a month 🤦🏼‍♀️ Such a waste when they were probably the most expensive ones but I’m now looking out anything else I have from there so I get it on him soon enough! He’s still mainly in 0-3 in most clothes but I’ve put a couple of smaller 3-6 on him this week (8 weeks).

He had his jags this morning 😭 Cried in the waiting room before we even went in. Hated the stuff in his mouth then hated the jags even more! They actually did look genuinely sore, they were big needles ☹️ He screamed for a few minutes then slept as soon as the car started going, trailed him round the shops for a few bits, went looking for Christmas presents in Smyths while he slept. Brought him home and just about had to wake him for a feed, he’s had it and fast asleep again bless him. Hope he just stays sleepy rather than screaming the place down like I was imagining he might do

We have had vaccinations today aswell. Not nice but wasn’t as traumatic as I thought it might be, just hope she doesn’t suffer too bad after. DD is still in a combination of newborn and 0-1 month clothes depending on the shop and she is 8 weeks today. Think we will be moving on to 0-3 fairly soon though, a lot of the clothes that were bought as gifts were in 0-3 so I’m hoping she stays in that size for at least a few weeks or there’s no chance of her wearing everything! We’re also still in size 1 nappies but will look to move to size 2 soon. DD has to wear 2 nappies bless her due to her hip scan showing that one of her hips is measuring slightly outside the normal range, we’ve got another scan in a few weeks so we’re hoping it will sort itself out or we will have to be referred to the paediatrician.

@WolfMother326 Yes, a long legged boy here too! Might be why size 3 nappies seem to protect him from leaks better now. And BF here too with two formula top ups, one when DH comes home from work and one just before bed. This seems to work really well for us and I'm trying to stick to this. My supply is lower late afternoon and eve too, always has been. DS has been a bit all over the place with feeding after his jabs, but we're getting back to our usual now, thankfully.

I have noticed that nappy sizes vary depending on the brand, didn't realise they'd be different depending on the type but under the same branding too 🤦🏼‍♀️ We've tried Lidl Lupilu recently and they are nearly as gentle as Mamia on DS's skin xx

@notinthestarsigns aw bless her! She’s gorgeous 😊 what weight is she now? He was 13lb 3 at his 7 week appointment 🤯

The Lupilu nappies don't have the stripe in size 3 either @sarah13xx, don't know if this is just what happens when they reach size 3? I was hoping to go back to Mamia next but no stripe either from what you're saying I am exactly the same as you when dressing him, think it's a habit of trying to make an effort when we have visitors or go out. I do it myself and project that on him clearly 🙈 xx

Are you getting them much for Christmas? Im trying to find stuff I could get that’s young enough but will also be useful until his birthday in the summer. Saw some small toys and stuff in Smyths and maybe going to get him some sort of rocking animal for his room. The rest will probably be clothes. We’re going to my mums for Christmas and I was looking at getting him a high chair that’s suitable from small baby size 🙈 they’re all a fortune though it seems! Would be useful for us with the dog in the house though

@PurplePansy05 aw maybe the coloured line is just a newborn thing then 🤔 if i check it I end up changing him anyway! Can never tell if these ones are wet unless they’re heavy though. Haha glad I’m not the only one 🙈 I get him up in the morning, iron both our outfits and put them on, really regardless of whether we’re even leaving the house 🤣

Aww thank you @sarah13xx. She was weighed at the doctors on Tuesday and was 9lb 14. I am thinking of a jumperoo for Christmas, and then a few other little toys and then clothes. I hope he’s ok after the jabs today. Erin has slept pretty much since we got home, just waiting for her to wake up as she was due a feed half an hour ago.

We are still in size 2 nappies pampers ones because I can get them in bulk on Amazon for the Northern Ireland delivery shortages of in store nappies 😫
She's still wearing 0-3 months stuff and some of it is still on the bigger size. She needs it for babygrows as she's long and long feet! But slim.

@sarah13xx oh apparently the aldi premium nappies are better for leaks than the normal aldi ones don't know if that's what you're using ?? also thinking about getting a high chair for DD for christmas so she can sit at the table with us even if she's not eating herself. also getting a second hand jumperoo but only because DS will be asking why FC hasn't brought anything for her, and some clothes maybe

i always found i dressed DS in sleep suits until around 3 months then i changed to outfits then got upset that he looked so grown up all the time so i went back to sleep suits all the time!

this is DD🥺 she was 9lb 15oz at her 5 weeks appointment

@notinthestarsigns oh wow! He’s just a wee chunk, he weighs the same as my cousins baby who is 4 months now 😂 he seems to be fine, just very sleepy. I’ve just had to give him the calpol again and he wasn’t impressed 🤦🏼‍♀️

The colostrum harvesting went terribly before he was born but the sterile syringes have come in handy now for this calpol rather than washing the syringe they gave me 😂

@lucyrp oh it’s always DH that goes, I should maybe go and have a look for the premium ones. I didn’t even realise there were different kinds they did. They aren’t awful for leaks but every other day his clothes are a bit wet. My mums friend gave us their jumperoo so he has that to keep at her house for now. The high chairs with the baby seats are so cute 😂 he’ll be 4 and a half months by Christmas so don’t even know if he’d be old enough for the seats you can clip onto your dining chair, think one of the high up baby chairs are probably better for that age.

She’s just beautiful 💕

www.pamperssquad.co.uk/uk/member-area/activefit/pampers-request-coupon?share=07760cf060a04fd68c72836beeba0ac0

Not sure if I can post this here but if you fill in the form they will send you five £2 off vouchers for their nappies which can be used when they are on offer as well. I know they are often on offer for £4.50 so works out £2.50 for anyone using pampers ☺️

Everyone’s babies are super cute! We are still in sleepsuits here because they are just easier!

@Magik01 I will give my friend that, she’s due soon. I managed to get a few free packs of pampers through the pregnancy apps and vouchers and stuff

Just registered her for them! People using pampers or people that are pregnant could totally get everyone in their family to register for those vouchers, you just need multiple addresses 😂

Your babies all sound teeny. Ds is in 3-6 month sleepsuits. He’s 10 weeks now though. He’s only on the 25th-50th percentile though, I think he must just be tall as he’s not chunky at all. at 8 weeks he was 11lb7 Some of the 3-6 ones don’t look like they’ve got much room left in them length wise 😂 We’ve been in size 3 nappies for a while too. I think the 2s would still fit but I bought a pack of 3s accidentally and just stuck with them. We use eco by naty and have had zero leaks. I just wish they weren’t so expensive. Even compared to pampers they’re a lot but in my mind I feel like I’m doing my bit for the environment even though I’m sure it’s all a con!

@Gem176 yes good thank you! Much better than we were to begin with, it's just getting into the swing of things I think sometimes isn't it! And like you it's been 6 and a half years since my last so quite a big gap 🤦🏼‍♀️ your dad sounds like an angel! Can I borrow him?😅 I haven't seen mine in 8 years even though I speak to him now and again and been getting up the courage to go and meet him with both kids🙈😂 I think my first was pretty similar to Evelyn so I'm kind of worried that something is going to go wrong somewhere 😂 What nails did you go for after ? These are mine 🌚🍂

@sarah13xx the normal aldi ones are in a yellow packet and the premium in a pale green and white I believe ? I can't remember🙈 yeah I really think DD would love to be able to sit at the table with us when she's able to sit up on her own obviously. At the moment she just gets plonked in her bouncer on the floor next to the table in the kitchen 🥺 aww thank you, I think so but I'm biased of course 🥰

All these babies are so adorable, we've produced some pretty good looking offspring👀

Welcome @Gem176! Not too late at all, the more the merrier. I love this thread and this super supportive group.

And welcome back @WolfMother326. That is a very smart outfit. I’m glad you and the baby are well :)

@Daffodil21 yes mostly sleepsuits or vests (long or short sleeved) with socks. Tried a pair of trousers and a t shirt the other day and it was very convenient for nappy checking - a revelation! - but the way the shirt kept riding up when I was holding him was a bit annoying. And sleepsuits and vests seem so comfy and if you can’t be comfy when you’re a little tiny baby, when can you be! I would happily live in jumpsuits all day long…

We have just moved into size 3 nappies but have loads of size 2 to use up! Luckily he needs a change about every 2 hours in the day so we get through them.

Just gone into 3-6 months for sleepsuits and dungarees 🤯 I swear we skipped over size 2 and 0-3 months in about a week. But for tops 0-1 month still fits best. This is a 3-6 month one in this picture, but the last full body picture I have is from about 2 weeks ago. I also don't like the tops riding up so I tend to avoid them unless they are tucked in to dungarees.

We are getting proper big smiles now, some "Oh"s and he's starting to get more control over his hands. He's desparate to be able to suck his thumb and he seems to be getting closer.

Oh no DH took this one the other day :) That's a 0-3 outfit but as you can see it's a bit short on the legs.

What do you do with your babies in the lead up to bed? I'm not talking about the bed time routine, more the time leading to that when they are grumpy but not quite ready to be put to sleep. I hate that time. She won't go on the boob and won't be put down anywhere. I've no clue what to do with her and end up trying to put her to bed too early.

Talk before was about how hard it is now compared to before and I get that now. Its the realisation that this is now it! And I'm sick of fighting for naps and tip toeing around the house after 7pm as DD is asleep I the lounge. We tried her in the snuz pod from 7pm but she had a really bad sleep compared to the pram. She will eventually grow out of that and I've no clue what I'll do then.

I dunno. I just still feel well out my depth and sick of asking what to do as I've no clue. I think she has reflux and babies do get it nothing needs done as they grow out of it but i hate seeing her with a sore belly. I'm crap at entertaining her and get bored during the day. I just long for the days she can sleep in her cot. I'm a terrible mother for wishing her months away.

Welcome @Gem176! I also have an age gap -DS1 is seven, and DS2 is almost eight weeks. It really is like starting from scratch 😁

Joining those of you finding it hard ATM - the lack of sleep has just started to hit me, and Isaac is not at all keen on sleeping in the day ☹️ Not getting to live my mat leave dreams of coffee shops and Netflix bingeing!! Hoping it gets a bit easier soon…

@Angelesque 😂 I know, what’s that all about?! I signed up for a different coffee shop every day of the week 🤔😂

@Ready2020 we did a bit of trial and error. There’s no one thing works for them all, you’re doing a great job! His worst time of the day is bang on when we’re having dinner funnily enough, some days worse than others with the screaming and refusing his milk but wanting it at the same time 🙄 We pushed his bedtime back to 8pm and he goes upstairs in the snuzpod now. I go for a bath through the wall with the monitor and it seems to work a lot better for him that he’s not being carried upstairs in a moses basket and transferred over to the snuzpod. He’s still never once woke himself between 11 and 12 but I’m waking him every time so that I get a decent chunk of sleep during the night. He goes for a long lunchtime nap, usually an hour or so in the afternoon and sometimes another wee short nap nearer dinner time. When he wakes from that we just try to fill the time with him before bath at 7:30. We used to eat dinner with one hand or lie him on the changing mat on the table so he could see us but we now have dinner one at a time and just make sure it will be ready about 20 minutes apart so we both get to eat it 😂 tragic! It does seem to take a lot of the stress away though to aim for that rather than forcing it every time, both to just end up eating a cold dinner.

I could have been in bed a while ago but he’s basically slept the whole day since his jags this morning so I’ve barely seen him 😢 Just sitting in his room holding him while he sleeps on me. I still have those moments where I think how is he mine?! How did I make that? 😭❤️