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August 2021 Babies - From Santa to Solids, Hohoho!

998 replies

PurplePansy05 · 20/12/2021 14:32

Here we go again!

I'd do another delightful intro, alas I've lost count which thread this is now and we all know our LO's names anyway 😁

So instead I will just say, Merry First Christmas together to you and your LOs! 🎄❤🎁

May the sleep regression pass as soon as they see Santa later this week...

...May they love weaning and may our kitchens survive...

...May 2022 be full of blessings for them and for us ❤❤❤

Oldcomers and newcomers welcome, as always! 🥰

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
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PurplePansy05 · 20/12/2021 14:38

Thanks for the tips @Inmypjsagain @Fran919, I will definitely try to up his formula top up and also offer another breastfeed during the day, gradually. Fingers crossed 😊 xx

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Magik01 · 20/12/2021 14:46

Thanks for the new threat @PurplePansy05!

Tried ringing 119 and just get the message where they can’t check the status on tests at the moment. 🙄

We are still having such bad sleeps at night, I honestly feel like I’ve got a newborn and it’s starting to grate on me again. I want him to sleep again 😭

BertieBotts · 20/12/2021 15:03

Great title! :)

Re bottle question on last thread, it's neither a good thing or a bad thing about the bottle being empty - it's more about challenging cultural practices associated with bottle feeding if that makes sense.

When we bottle feed, we know exactly how much they are having and that tends to act as a motivator for us to try and ensure they have their "usual amount". It can be a great source on anxiety if a baby is drinking more or less than they normally do. Whereas if we are breastfeeding, you can't stress about amounts in quite the same way as you have no access to this information. (Which can be stressful in itself... but that's a whole other topic!)

There is also a factor that when bottle feeding babies are not completely in control of the speed of delivery. Especially if they are lying down and the bottle is upended so that the whole teat is filled with milk (you may have been shown this to avoid them taking in air, as that used to be/still is commonly taught, although it's actually a myth) - sucking and swallowing is largely a reflex action and so it can be easy for a baby to take more than they need. Of course they will pull away if they really don't want it, but the threshold for "I have to actively keep sucking if I want more" and "I have to actively do something to stop this flow of milk" may be quite different.

So if you make your baby 7oz, and they get to 5oz and then decide they are done, it can be really tempting to go "come on, just a little bit more", tap the bottle, jiggle them, distract them, etc and hope they take more. In that scenario, an empty 7oz bottle wouldn't be great as you've just persuaded them to take 2oz more than they really wanted.

However let's say you know your baby normally takes 7oz, but you've read this advice and make up 8oz, then they stop naturally at 7. You end up with a wasted oz of milk, and formula isn't cheap. If you'd just made a 7oz bottle, they'd taken 7oz, been happy and not looked for more, nor did you do any persuading, then that empty 7oz bottle is a good thing as nothing is wasted!

So it isn't really a problem either way. And also, all of this stuff is really theoretical. It's just about looking at the (tiny) population level differences between breastfed babies and bottle fed babies and trying to see if any of those gaps can be closed not necessarily by the content of the milk, but also in the way that we actually feed babies. It's not something to really worry and stress over, it was just trying to give some context to the advice. I find context is helpful in deciding whether to follow some advice or ignore it.

BertieBotts · 20/12/2021 15:09

My doc said no to ibuprofen before 6 months, but you can get different flavours of calpol/liquid paracetamol, Boots and some supermarkets do an own brand one I think. You can always ask a pharmacist, they are great at this kind of thing!

I found the restrictions so hard last year, everything was so locked down. Really hoping schools and nurseries don't close again as that was the worst last year. But I do have one friend I would probably continue to see regardless so maybe if we keep that up, it won't be so bad.

I just hope it clears up by March so we can come to see our families.

Fran919 · 20/12/2021 15:22

Thanks @BertieBotts

My HV always told me to jiggle the bottom to get DD to take it but saw on IG about paced feeding so quickly ignored that advice !

I’ll send DH to the pharmacy in a mo to ask.

I hope we don’t go into lockdown, I’ve got a family member with stage 4 cancer and want to make memories but be safe! X

PurplePansy05 · 20/12/2021 15:33

Yes, Bertie, I very much feel there's a lot of mystery about bf and milk intake. I try not to worry about it because ultimately if he's gaining weight and developing well, then all us good. It's a bit of magic, isn't it Grin But it doesn't make it easier when it comes to moving a feed to earlier in the day, for example 🤣

Oh, I am dreading any new restrictions. I really don't want the rest of my maternity leave to ne spent in such isolation. I will continue seeing my two friends regardless I think, I would go bonkers at home otherwise. I'm also thinking about what Chris Witty said the other day that apparently we have 18 months more of this before they create a universal corinavirus vaccine in 2023, and that it should get better every 6 months. I really hope they never close the nurseries again, there's no way on earth I could do my job and look after DS 😳 Maybe an odd day if he's poorly, but not for weeks xx

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PurplePansy05 · 20/12/2021 15:34

Sorry about the typos, bf here 🤦🏼‍♀️

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PurplePansy05 · 20/12/2021 15:37

@Magik01 How does Isaac sleep now? And re 119, can you try later? I wonder if they're so busy they've become overwhelmed xx

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biscuitcat · 20/12/2021 17:07

In terms of new restrictions, in all honesty I just wouldn't be doing it. Obviously if restaurants and stuff are closed you can't go there, but I'll be seeing friends and family no matter what the rules are - everyone I know is either double or triple jabbed and at this stage I just don't think it's reasonable to shut down everything for what is, in the most part, a mild illness which we have good treatments for.

Still very jealous of those of you with super sleepers! The last two nights we've been back to just our dream feed then a 4am-ish feed, which has been amazing compared to the regression-y nights seeing every hour! Really hoping it's not just a fluke and he's getting back to normal... one day I'd love a full nights sleep again 😂

Magik01 · 20/12/2021 17:59

Got through to 119, they won’t start chasing tests until you’ve been waiting 96 hours 😱

@PurplePansy05 he’s not sleeping well at all. Naps are still only ever on me and being rocked to sleep which lasts 35 mins TOPS. If I put him down he’s awake instantly. Night are awful, waking every 1 and a half/ 2 hours. If I get a three hour stretch of sleep at the minute it’s a huge plus. Not sure what to do anymore. Can’t keep it up really!

RandomCatGenerator · 20/12/2021 18:09

Checking in.

DS has four teeth coming. Sad times all around.

sarah13xx · 20/12/2021 18:57

@PurplePansy05 how do you come up with these amazing intros every time 🙈

@BertieBotts good points.. he’s definitely not in the category of needing any encouragement whatsoever 😂 the second he doesn’t want anymore he just lets go too so I don’t ever try to persuade him to take anymore. The only time he’ll do that though is if it’s the second bottle after only an hour or something. If he’s gone 2-3 hours 9 times out of 10 he wants it all and occasionally looks like he wants more. I’m going to stick to making 7oz for a few days to see if that cancels out the need for another bottle after only an hour etc. He was only hungry early this morning because he fell asleep during last nights bottle and I just knew 3/4oz was never going to last him all night.

sarah13xx · 20/12/2021 19:00

Hoping for no more lockdowns too but I can definitely see something on the horizon, whatever that may be 🙈 In scotland we always seem to be one step ahead of Boris so whatever it is I’m sure we’ll not be long in finding out. He’s got a place in water babies in January but they’ve said not to pay just now in case swimming ends up being closed again. Has anyone done it? Is it worth the £180 for 10 weeks? 😬

Feel awful for anyone with cancer or any other life limiting illnesses just now. They should be able to enjoy every last minute but for fear of catching covid (and probably being more vulnerable) or just not being allowed to do anything they’re missing out on precious time 😢 it’s so sad

sarah13xx · 20/12/2021 19:01

Oh good @Magik01 sending hugs (and a good nights sleep hopefully) 😥

sarah13xx · 20/12/2021 19:02

*god ^

sarah13xx · 20/12/2021 19:06

I’m eternally grateful for how well Freddie sleeps 🙈 my heart goes out to anyone still struggling at nights. Even this week when I’ve moved to his room, he had never slept in it before either, he’s having to have naps up there too and can’t even get a nap in the pram once a day like he usually would, he’s still amazing and sleeping 12/13 hours 🥺 After DH’s isolation ends we’ll only be in this house another 2 weeks then moving to my mums for a month then eventually to the new house so 3 room changes in 2 months. I’m thinking now he’s in there we should just leave him in there rather than bringing the snuzpod back through then put the snuzpod in with us at my mums and move it into his own room in the new house for a couple of nights til he adjusts then he’ll be in the big cot. Given how tall he is I am impressed it’s the one thing he hasn’t outgrown!

RandomCatGenerator · 20/12/2021 19:22

In the nicest possible way, I sort of hate you @sarah13xx!! 😂 Solomon is in the 9th centile and has dropped a little more recently so quite small - he simply isn’t big enough or eating enough to sleep through I guess. He goes to bed at 6.30, then up at 11, up at 3, up for good at 7. And that’s a great improvement on where we used to be.

SIGH. It’s just as well he’s otherwise quite nice.

Inmypjsagain · 20/12/2021 19:26

Thank you @PurplePansy05! I’ve changed my settings so that threads last 10 pages and I somehow missed we were so near the end of the last one!

@Magik01 you must be knackered! Really hope you get a good stretch of sleep soon, surely it must be over soon?!

That’s a good point Bertie, especially because we track his feeds and so if there’s a day where he has 300 ml left I think oh dear (like today!) what I’m surprised at though is how consistent he is usually, he’ll normally have had the same amount at the same time each day, guess it’s stomach capacity!

I really have never known so many people with covid at the moment- my friends met up last Wednesday, I didn’t go because i was worried about covid, anyway 7 out of 8 have tested positive! It’s really scary- I only knew a handful of people who had covid the whole pandemic and the last month it has gone bananas! I think restrictions are inevitable at this point in areas with high rates! But @sarah13xx I wanted to book a local version of splash babies but didn’t because you’d lose £90 if it didn’t go ahead because of covid, there’s still spaces so if it’s looking okay we’ll do in January but am wondering how likely it is now!

@RandomCatGenerator 4 teeth!!! Poor thing, Hope bonjela helps and it all goes as well as it can for you both!

Inmypjsagain · 20/12/2021 19:29

@RandomCatGenerator sorry my internet messed up and my post took ages to upload! Your comment about him otherwise being quite nice made me laugh 😊 he’ll get there. They all will eventually. I hope he gets there soon for you though!

BertieBotts · 20/12/2021 19:34

Ah random that sounds quite normal for this age, I think 2-3 wake ups is pretty good. I do not breed these magical sleeping children :o currently I'm lucky if I get back into the living room in the evening, as he won't stay asleep without me. But as long as I am there he will sometimes do a stretch of several hours at a time. I think our best stretch has been about 7 hours which is better than DS2 at this age. He didn't sleep more than 3 hours in a row until he was about 1!

BertieBotts · 20/12/2021 19:35

And DS2 and 3 are huge, so I don't think it's related to size, just random.

Inmypjsagain · 20/12/2021 19:38

@BertieBotts 3 hours until one?!?!?!? 🤯🙈😱

BertieBotts · 20/12/2021 19:49

I was cosleeping, so it wasn't that bad. I didn't have to actually get up every 3 hours, that would have been terrible!

Inmypjsagain · 20/12/2021 19:51

I was going to say, surely coffee isn’t enough for that 😂

biscuitcat · 20/12/2021 19:56

@RandomCatGenerator Rowan's nights sound just like Solomon's, and he's a proper chunk! (85th centile last I checked a few weeks ago) - just luck I think! How does he settle after his night wakes? Rowan is mostly good on that front so while a whole night would be dreamy, I'm finding I can cope with how we are now