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

Urgh the sleep issues have started? DD wasn’t great to begin with, waking every 3 hours and then hardly slept after 4. Last night I saw every hour and it’s not been good for a few nights. I assume it’s the regression / leap / teething / reflux… far too much going on. She hiccups multiple times a night and hates lying down whilst hiccuping so wants to be upright. Co sleeping didn’t even help last night, not great timing when I’m reducing night feed too, she’s gone from 5/6 oz overnight to only wanting 2 last night so that’s a small win.

However, despite hating tummy time and managing a max of 5 mins a few times a day without a meltdown, she happily did about 7 mins this morning, and then I’ve tried again and she rolled from front to back, thought it was just imbalance so propped her back on the TT pillow and she went again, took it away and she did it twice more with little giggles!

What does everyone think the max nap time should be in the day at this age?

Anybody going to ‘sleep train’ when they hit 4 months?

Found that mushrooms top

www2.hm.com/en_gb/productpage.0891822015.html

The wind has really started up here again. It makes napping difficult as DD sleeps out in the pram. We only get short naps in the house. Plus poor wee DD has her first proper cold. She's all stuffed up poor mite.

I'm finding sizing to be a right pain just now. She's too wee for 0 to 3 months but the 3 to 6 are huge. The photo attached is a Boden cardigan sized 3 to 6 months that I hoped would fit her now!

@Daffodil21 yes we used that method from Instagram, we only did it for a week or so but it’s hard to know if the method worked or if he naturally night weaned himself? I sort of think at that age they’re too young to train like that but maybe it worked! Worth a try I’d say!

@Fran919 aw yay for rolling and giggling! Amazing how much joy is had from a roll 😂 I saw that for 4
Months there should be about 4 hours of naps a day, not sure what that’s based on though! And sleep training? Is that like cry it out? If we have issues with sleep at a later stage I’d probably try some method but I’ve not really researched it tbh

@Ready2020 she is such a cutie!!! Agree sizing is a pain. We’re pretty much in 6-9 now but it’s all so baggy, but it fits length wise, so everything looks a bit funny on! Poor Rowan with her cold, hope she feels better soon!

Their actual clothes vary but their vests are similar to other brands in length (maybe slightly longer) and slimmer fitting.

We had first jabs today (very late!) and he's a bit crotchety now :( He did very well at the time. Cried immediately but cheered up with a cuddle.

Boden stuff fits big, so if you have other 3-6 stuff it's worth getting it out and giving it a try.

Yes that's the H&M set I got :) I can do a photo comparison with Primark vests if any use, that's the only other UK brand I have in that size.

Sorry @Daffodil21 you were asking before about if the extra feed at night was now regular. It varies is the answer. Last night was 11.30 then 2.30 then 6.30! But the night before was 3.30 and 7.30. I think it depends on how well she sleeps and how much she feeds during the day. She was quite blocked up last night so feeling sorry for herself so wanted more comfort boob. She sleeps with her dummy but of course can't breathe through her nose just now.

@Inmypjsagain ah thanks. We've stocked up on nose drops and plug ins! I guess it's good for her immunity to get a cold.

@Inmypjsagain will have to give it a go. I'll leave him to hopefully settle back to normal for a bit longer before I do though.

@Ready2020 I'm hoping it was just a blip and he's now back to normal... Adorable onesie btw!

@Ready2020 my Rowan has that cardi too! I love it 😍 but mine is a right chunk (over 17lb!!) so 3-6 fits well! What a cute pic of her xx

@PurplePansy05 I so recognise that feeling - I teared up the other day looking at him thinking how much I love him, and really have never seen that side of myself before, he's turned me all soppy!

@sarah13xx I think that's called a split night? Some of the sleep people I follow on Instagram talk about them. Don't say anything aloud about it, that's a sure fire way to guarantee that in a years time you'll be doing the exact same thing!!

We've had a very coldy baby here (have I said that already? Lost track!). Poor bubba has been so snotty and the skin around his nose is getting dry, but he really doesn't like when I moisturise there. Hoping we're getting to the end of the cold now though

17lb! Wow! That's amazing @biscuitcat, Leo must be around 14 now I'm guessing, he's definitely put on a bit since his 16 week jabs. Ditto re clothing, size 3-6m varies so much between the brands. In my experience M&S, Benetton, Mamas & Papas, H&M and supermarket brands are usually smaller (apart from Aldi - Lily & Dan are very generous), baby GAP and Frugi are in the middle, Next is quite generous, Joules, JJMB, Boden and most of the posher end brands are pretty generous. Yet to try John Lewis, I have a load for 6-9 months.

Cardigans seem to be quite big in general on my son, only now we packed up all of the 0-3 ones as they've become too short. Leggins and trousers seem tight around his waist even though he's not chubby, is anyone else having this issue? xx

Yes to the waist issue, I think it's just chubby baby tummies :o I did a sneaky weigh of Alex on the doctor's scales today and he's 7.85kg which I've just looked up and that is over 17lb as well. We are mostly wearing 3-6 months but I've moved into the 6-9 month trousers and sleepsuits. Long legs! He still fits into some of the newborn t shirts though I am probably just being wishful there! I tend to keep stuff in his drawer until it is too hard to get on or looks ridiculous. I did get rid of a load of 0-3 month hoodies that were too tight. I don't think he ever actually wore one.

Split night is when they are awake and active and need input for an extended period in the night like 1-2 hours. DS2 did this in phases periodically, usually when he was working on something. DS1 didn't and (touch wood) DS3 doesn't seem to do it either.

@Ready2020 I’m fully expecting our first cold, we have a medicine section in the spare room where we have stocked up with snuffle babe chest rub and bubble bath, saline spray, saline drops, calpol plug in, spare calpol things for the plug in and spare vapour rubs. We also have infacol, gripe water, calpol x3 and baby bonjela 😂 May be a bit OTT! But we were recommended the chest rub and bubble bath incase it’s something you want to try. Hope she has a good night! Same to @biscuitcat poor snuffley baby! For the dry skin, do you have any baby balms? We have a neals yard one which is lovely and might be nice for his nose? Hope all the coldy babies feel better soon!

@PurplePansy05 I agree with your sizing from the bits I’ve bought, I’ll add that mother care at boots is minuscule! I got a Christmas onesie 6-9 and it’s too small everywhere. We have the tummy issue with trousers when we’re going through of actually fitting clothes, but to get length we’ve gone up to 6-9 and they’re a little loose. I do wonder if the nappy pads out the bum bit which makes the waist smaller if that makes sense? Oddly we have that issue the most with John Lewis tracksuit bottoms. I find Mori and JJMB everything is just very short- the Mori yoga pants aren’t even 3/4 length!

We did 2 clothes washes yesterday and I thought today wouldn’t be too bad, there was so much milk spew today several outfits and blankets were ruined. Somehow we’ve generated 3 more washes (inc mine and husbands clothes, I went through 3 tops and 2 leggings…) all I can think about is having to hang the bloody things up and then put them away x3. Give me strength. Am wondering if we could just get a housekeeper in now 😂

@Inmypjsagain I would LOVE a cleaner! Especially one to come on a Monday when I’m out at his class then come back to a clean house after it 😍 in theory I should have time to clean, I just don’t in reality

@Fran919 aww well done on the rolls! We had the same sort of wobble to a roll recently and he did it once again straight after but hasn’t done anymore since. When he’s on his front he is usually on the playmat with the cushioned edge though (mainly because my living room floor has too much dog hair on it 24/7 for him to lie on it) but I really need to keep putting him on a flat surface to see if he’ll do it again.

His nap lengths completely vary. At first I was following Gina Ford to the letter (eye roll) and thought I had this remote control baby. She recommended shorter naps of an hour then one longer nap of 2 hours - 2 and a half hours around lunch time (in a dark room etc etc). He was having these long naps then randomly started just having an hour at a time after about 2 months I think. It was maybe just because he was sleeping so long at night but the past week or two he’s been SO hungry and SO sleepy. He’s went back to having over 2 hours sometimes in the middle of the day, which is ideal for me 😂 I think maybe if it went over 2 and a half hours I’d wake him but I really really hate having to wake him so I’d leave him as long as possible without it affecting his night time sleep hopefully

Also, changed to pampers nappies at nights now but they’re still soaking through his jammies and sleeping bag almost 🙄 I think I’ve just got the normal kind though, was there a particular type people suggested? To be fair any nappy would struggle staying dry after 12 hours so I don’t actually know that I can solve the issue

I'm finding DD is soaking through her nappies at night too. At the moment I am making sure I change her at least once during the night when I feed her which solves the issue of wet clothes in the morning. Does anyone have any recommendations for nappies that hold for longer? In the day she won't sit in a wet nappy and cries as soon as she's been. But at night it doesn't seem to bother her so much.

My DD is so tiny, she's between 2nd-9th centile so is only JUST fitting nicely into the 0-3 clothes we have and she's 15 weeks tomorrow!! Quite a lot of the 0-3 clothes we were gifted when she was born are very summery so she's not had much use out of some of them as it's too cold now for the t shirts and summer dresses!

I've figured out it's not the big clean that I struggle with, I can find the time to blitz my house every fortnight, no problem. It's the daily cleaning/tidying up and keeping on top of it that is a struggle though. The place is generally clean most of the time but it looks untidy. Conclusion, I need a live in housekeeper 😆 #dreaming xx

Double up normal nappies, go up a size, or use a cloth nappy booster inside or a cloth nappy outer waterproof cover. Once you're in size 4, you can try 4+ - the + sizes are the same size but more absorbent.

Pampers Premium Protection I use at night but somebody else said they are hard to get in the UK - have to look on amazon.

We change every 2 hours in the day or he complains. If I know I will need him to go longer I use a Premium one.

Daily cleaning is the worst. I know some MNers really like The Organised Mum Method (TOMM). I am so behind I haven't even looked at it. Combination of ADHD + 3 kids + no visitors in 2 years just means our house is a permanent disaster.

We are still completely go with the flow on naps. I know he'll tend to have one from about 9am until 10.30-11ish. The rest of the day I have no sense on timings or lengths or even number. Once DH goes back to work I'll start tracking it as I won't have anyone to hand him to :o So it will be useful to be able to predict them.

@sarah13xx it should be good but I’m quite precious about my stuff so I’m a bit nervous about it too! Ridiculous really. Also the wet nappies for you and @babyturtle19 when he was in size 3s he slept in a 4 overnight and we had no soaking issues. He’s always in 4s now and again no soaking for now, if he does we’ll try 5s. We use pampers baby dry which is the green packaging.

@babyturtle how lovely you can keep her in 0-3 months, I’m a bit heartbroken at all the stuff we’re storing now!

@BertieBotts TOMM looks like a headache to me because it’s quite regimented? But then I’m a bit weird with cleaning, we’ve had the carpet cleaners in once a month since baby was born which I think is probably OTT and I steam every other day (I get itchy thinking about carpets and what’s lurking in them but we’re in a flat so have to have them!)

@Inmypjsagain @BertieBotts
Thanks both for the tips! We are a long way off size four. She's still in size 1! however I've got some size 2s so will give the size up a go at night time and see how that works! Thank you!

@Inmypjsagain ahh I know what you mean, it's going to be so hard packing away her first outfits when she grows out of them!

Well my DD has become a feeding monster! She woke up screaming at 10.30 and fed for ages then again at 2am then at 6 where she promptly pooped and started gurgling, clearly wide awake. I've been reading that they tend to start feeding like crazy at this age as they grow so much. Im ok with that but only if she would feed more during the day!

I've got my work Christmas lunch today and DD is being left with my mum and my OH working upstairs. She will need a bottle of formula at some point as I'll be away for 4 or 5 hours. But I'm determined to enjoy it and not think too much about my mum trying to look after her. I'm glad my OH is around.

Any advice what to put on skin under the chin that's got all red and dry from drooling?

Thanks for al your help @BertieBotts we made it to Denmark and dd is now happily back in the infant carrier. Flight was pretty quiet and overall the travelling went well. Ds is finding it a little difficult and wants to go home. He's having fun seeing everyone but he misses his own bed and space hoping he gets used to it as we are here for quite a while!
Since we aren't doing school runs though dd is managing to get a couple of naps in a pram which is good. Though she's feeding at least twice a night sometimes more!

Haha! I saw TOMM, screenshot some info online, then forgot about it and finally concluded I've no time to even read about it properly and adding a regimented method to my life now would stress me out! I actually find cleaning therapeutic. Tidying up daily annoys me OTOH, but I'm not going to stare at an untidy room just because it's a Monday not a Thursday, that would wind me up even more xx

@babyturtle19 How much does your LO weigh? xx