August 2021 Babies - They Had To Be Gorgeous, Just Look At Us

[PurplePansy05]

Welcome to the chattiest post-natal club on MN!

We spent a year together chatting about all things pregnancy and baby...

...we've tried and tested countless baby products...

...exchanged hundreds of tips...

...talked about all the big things in life, all the little things, the good times and the tough times...

...we had a good laugh together 😁...

...and somehow we now have gorgeous 3 month old babies without looking a day older ourselves 😅 (must be that good laugh!)

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 💖

Sorry if I've missed anyone, please join in! xx

Thank you for the new thread @PurplePansy05 I love the intro, was a lovely read 😊

Those of you talking about dropping the dream feed- when he woke in the night we started reducing the amount we offered him, he went from 6oz, 5oz to 4oz and that seem to work because he stopped waking, it could be coincidence but it seemed to work for us. He usually drinks 7oz at each feed during the day and in total over the course of 24 hours will have over a litre (usually about 1100ml) but often goes over 12 hours with no milk. Obviously we’re lucky he’s been a good sleeper from the start. He’s also not really a Velcro baby, so I know it must be suffocating (maybe not the right word, but maybe challenging would be a better phrase?) but I’m a bit envious of babies who’ll only be on you. He’s happy on me, but happy on his playmat/nest/bouncer/with his grandparents/aunts/uncles. We seemed to have mastered him napping his nest by putting him down drowsy but awake- thought that was a myth- but he doesn’t need contact naps anymore which feels sad.

I miss fun parts of my old life too- I miss proper exercise, a full workout at the gym with a long shower after. I’m dieting really strictly at the moment and my baby weight just is not shifting! I’m exercising too, YouTube workouts and baby in his bouncer watching me, but ideally I’d be at the gym doing spin and some cardio, plus weights 4/5 times a week but it won’t work. My husband starts work at 7 and works til gone 8 most nights- not feasible to get out for 2 hours a few times a week. If we had space for a peloton I’d buy one in a heartbeat. I miss socialising too (my favourite friends don’t ask about the baby, contrary to what people were saying here before 😂 I’m always talking about the baby, it’s nice to talk about normal stuff!) I love having a baby but It’d be great to just be able to go out without thinking about it! I also definitely need a new job with more money less stress but I’m not sure that exists really (which reminds me I must buy a lottery ticket)

@PurplePansy05 I think it’s really easy to analyse life atm, when it’s all weird and you probably have a boob out, unwashed hair and some form of bodily fluid in you! But I think this is an intense time-
Hormonally, mentally, physically, plus you’ve had a move and a reno- stressful without a small Velcro baby!! So hopefully things will look better in a few months 😊 sucks the gin bar shut down though!

@lucyrp aw, I understand! It’s like she’s grown up really quickly, I hope she keeps waking for you (is that weird?!)

@PurplePansy05 cripes I’m sure I wrote bodily fluids ON you not in you 🙈🙈🙈

Hahaha @Inmypjsagain this has really tickled me 🤣🤣🤣 You're right about everything. I won't be rushing to make any major changes in my life before I return to work and the dust settles a bit (well, as much as it can now I'm a mother). Glad I'm not the only one reflecting on life now though! Very much like @sarah13xx said, I never had the time to pause before now. I also think that's right what @sarah13xx said about introducing one little thing at a time. I will do my best, I just need to start with a frame of mind of do what you can. It's hard because I can do far less than before! I'm physically weaker and don't have much spare time as it stands. I don't want to start feeling rubbish because I haven't done my exercise/meditation/met up with someone just because I couldn't leave DS or was just too tired if that makes sense. I need to become, dare I say it, flexible and relaxed 😳🤣 (that's so not me!).

@lucyrp Thanks so much for the app recommendation. It's really interesting to monitor Leo, there are actually some patterns emerging and it helps me to see when he should sleep during the day. I put him down twice in his N2M and he slept 1.5 hrs so far today. For my child this is a success! I'm feeling rough so not going out today and was really dreading it as he usually only sleeps when we're out walking. But managing him in accordance with the wake windows might have just saved me today! Thank you so much xx

And thank you @Inmypjsagain for motivating me to push myself a bit more when it comes to our walks - since you've said about your long walks, I have been taking Leo out mist days for 1.5-2 hrs, that's between 3.5-4m walk and like I said he sleeps then and it keeps me sane! My core is a lot better now too. I hope we have some decent weather still this year xx

@PurplePansy05 its certainly interesting to look at isn't it! I do find thag it helps with noticing their patterns too as sometimes I don't think I notice how time goes so quickly and she seems hungry and I think no surely you can't be hungry you've only just eaten but I look at the app and its been like 2 hours so she's due a feed and I'm like ooops 🥴 no problem! Glad you're liking it xx

Dd has learnt to suck her thumb (or finger or entire hand at once) which is unbelievable cute ... except she kept sticking her hands too far in her mouth and gagging on it. Though she doesn't seem bothered. Sitting with a dummy in my hand wondering do I swap out hand for dummy or do I lift her for a quick feed since I'm awake now anyway.. leaning towards leave her be she's happy and possibly asleep despite it all (eyes closed)

@Smurf123 but late but go with it I'd say and leave her be. I wish my DD used her thumb rather then the dummy though we use the scratch cuffs on her so she doesn't get a chance. I did take her hands out the scratch cuffs to see if she would use her thumb but she just kept knocking the dummy out with her fingers then wanted the dummy back.

My DD has been freaking me out with her silent deep sleeps tonight. I keep wanting to prod her!

I highly recommend the headspace app btw if you have trouble sleeping. I've yet to make it to the end of one of their sleep stories as I'm always asleep! Slept from 8 30 to 2am tonight in the spare room. Slept through DD waking up randomly at 9.30 apparently.

@Smurf123 he does the exact same sucking this thumb and finger beside it or pushes them right into his throat and starts gagging 😂 He also pushes the bottle away as I’m trying to get it in his mouth but he’s desperate for it, he just doesn’t have control of his hands 🙈 We don’t have a dummy though so I think he sucks his hand instead

I downloaded headspace this week! Have started trying to do meditations on it 😌

I debated it and then ended up lifting her to feed at 130 only for her to wake again at 4 🙈
@sarah13xx we have several dummy's not that she actually wants to use any of them

For those of you who put babies to sleep upstairs early ish do you go up with them or put a monitor on for a couple of hours then go up later? I'd really like just one evening downstairs with my OH but I don't like leaving DD alone to sleep in her cot. OH thinks I'm being paranoid and over protective.

@Ready2020 sometimes I put her in her bed and go back downstairs but just listen out for her and check on her every so often. We don't use a monitor

@Ready2020 if dd goes early I go up to bed with her.. but I have a tv up there and tend to watch it .
She will be having all sleeps including naps in the same room as us until 6 months - I do go to the bathroom or in and out of the kitchen if she's napping in the pram but the house is small and it's never for more than say the time it takes to make a cup of tea etc

@Ready2020 I use a monitor. We put him down at 7 then don’t go up to bed until 10. He also has all his naps up there with a monitor, although they’re only ever 30 mins even though I usually watch him like a hawk to try and prevent overtiredness 🤷🏼‍♀️

@lucyrp I have those days. Sometimes I’m so distracted with making sure everyone is ready to get out the house that I forget to feed ds. Today was one of those days and I felt terrible for it. He definitely didn’t have as much as he should have today. Gave him a 5oz bottle at bed time and he cried when it was finished and had to top him up with boob. Feel awful. Definitely expecting a harder night tonight as not sure he’s had enough throughout the day. It’s so hard with a demanding toddler!

Had a fraught day today. The stress of renovation is really getting to DH and he’s been in a miserable mood all day. Dd picks up on it and they wind each other up with their terrible moods. Ds has barely slept either so has been an overtired mess and so unsettled tonight. I’m exhausted.

@PurplePansy05 in response to your post earlier about olbas etc, they’re fine to use while bf’ing. Just steer clear of Sudafed as it can affect supply.

@Ready2020 we’ve done it since about 6/7 weeks as he just stopped getting into a deep sleep in the Moses basket and would be so unsettled. I usually went up with him at first and we took it in turns to have baths/showers etc but for a while now we’ve just used the monitor. He also has a snuza hero clip on breathing alarm that makes me slightly less paranoid. I’m usually only in a bath through the wall but I did sit downstairs tonight and have a gin watching tv which was a treat 😊 He has a much better sleep and doesn’t wake up til the morning doing it that way. I just have to keep tip toeing in to check on him. My paranoia has gone up a bit this weekend after he rolled onto his side for the first time yesterday 🤦🏼‍♀️

Hello ladies.

@PurplePansy05 lovely introduction. Hope you're well my love. I do miss our chats. Hope baby boy is growing up well.

I do read your posts and tips and have become more like a lurker 🤪.

Arya-Nyah is 12.5 weeks now and I feel like I've got some sort of routine (minus sleep). She's still mostly exclusively breastfeeding so she doesn't sleep long hours (totally envious of all you lovely ladies whose LOs do!). I have had the odd 4-5 hour stretch as a one off. I take her to baby sensory classes once a week from last week and I met some lovely mums local to me on peanut so we go for a walk twice a week with them. DD has her 12 week immunisations coming Friday. How has that been for everyone?

Thank you for all your advice and tips. Still can't believe I have an almost 3 month old little bubba!

Also it was Diwali on Thursday so I dressed her up in her first Indian outfit and she looked like a little life size Indian doll. Everyone was in love. I didn't want to take her out of it! 🥰🤣

@Whatshouldbemyusername so gorgeous!

I’m into week 4 of my never ending period, tmi warning in advance 🤦🏼‍♀️ it isn’t heavy and I keep thinking it’s stopped then it starts again later that day. This morning it started again but I passed a small clot. It was like 5p sized and stringy looking. Slightly concerned its a bit of placenta or something left over because my app notes after the c-section said I had jagged membranes or something 🤔 It’s only once and I’m not bleeding heavily so I’m hoping it stops soon

Talking of night feeds: how has anyone actually managed to drop a feed? DS howls when he’s hungry and can really keep it up. Bar just sitting with him yelling for hours, I’m not sure how I’m supposed to drop it and not feed him on demand?

Also, on the subject of monitors and sleep - I would highly recommend the monitor we have. Kodak C520 wifi video baby monitor. Very easy to use and great quality video and audio.

We put DS down at 7 and once he’s asleep we go into the living room and have a few hours of dinner and TV and general non baby time, with ‘baby TV’ on to check he’s alright. It works really well. In the morning, DH tends to get up at 7 and DS wakes up for the day around 8, so he’ll have his breakfast watching DS on the monitor too.

We are still having several night feeds - generally DS is awake at 11 then 2 then 5. It’s a bit much…

@RandomCatGenerator I didn’t ever intentionally drop any, he just didn’t wake up for them anymore but he’s fully formula fed. My book (gina ford 🙄) said you could start offering water instead if they were just waking out of habit but I think that was closer to the 4 month mark maybe and if you’re not bottle feeding you wouldn’t be able to. Are you doing a dream feed? I used to do that as late as possible, sometimes even sat up til 12 because I knew if I did that I’d get a big chunk of sleep after

@RandomCatGenerator I think at this age you are supposed to still feed on demand not aim to drop night feeds. Dd just doesn't wake for them but she cluster feeds then downs a 200ml bottle from about 5/6 every evening until about 10.

My DD just stopped waking for them. She feeds before bed about 7 then again any time between 2 and 4 then again on waking any time between 6 and 7. But I've said before she very rarely cries to be fed. It's a bit of a worry at the back of my mind that she is getting enough so during the day I'm offering boob as often as I can. She's 3 months exactly today.

I was wondering when we can get to the stage of not waking her to sleep. But sleep training but when she might be put in her cot and go to sleep herself! I take it that's ages away.

I still can't bring myself to leave her in the cot alone and go downstairs with the monitor. Give me a month or 2 and I'll get there!

OH and I both have dodgy bellies just now and wonder if we've caught a bit from her 12 well vaccine.

Oh what a crap night. I had the evening to myself so I usually go and sleep in the spare room. I heard DD crying at 9.30 ish but OH was on shift. OH woke me at 2.30 (an hour after our agreed time for some reason) and I asked how it went.

DD woke at 9.30 as I thought and OH decided to change her nappy for some reason. I'd have just swayed her back to sleep but oh well. During this change DD peed on her clothes and sleeping bag! OH didn't know where the other bags were (in a drawer in the nursery) so just lay a blanket loose on her in the cot! Not a good idea as she's super wriggly at the moment.

Then as OH went to the bathroom he kicked these metal shelves across the hall. They've been sitting outside the bathroom for ages waiting on him putting them up. DD of course woke up, OH went to bed and just left me to it!

Since 2.30 DD has woken 4 times! I've fed her twice and rocked her the other 2. She's never been like this. Not sure if the metal noise just unsettled her or if it's the start of something else. So tired. And not best pleased with OH.