August 2021 Babies - From Santa to Solids, Hohoho!

[PurplePansy05]

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! 🥰

Yes, they say from a SIDS point of view once they can roll it's fine to let them choose their own sleeping position.

@Ready2020 oh no, I’m dreading the rolling in her sleep when she’s starting to sleep well. She also sleeps on her side with her neck right back which worries me but there’s nothing I can do about it, if I move it, she’ll just do it again.

We’ve had a few rolls from tummy to back but not back to tummy, it’s as though she knows she doesn’t like it.

The banana test failed, wasn’t interested in it at all. Didn’t even touch it so will try again in a few weeks, though I do want to do a mix of BLW and purées just so she’ll tolerate a pouch if our and about and it’s easier (probably a cop out but I don’t want to make it difficult for myself)

Gosh, the sex drive has increased and having it more than ever 😬

@sarah13xx nightmare doing tummy time with a dog isn't it! Between me losing my hair at the moment, the dog (golden retriever, so a LOT of hair!) and the cat the carpets and poor old Rowan are always covered in something 😂

I had a cry this morning from how tired I was, he's slept really badly the past few nights - but now sitting in the kitchen with a cuppa and watching Rowan finally discover his feet - he doesn't look convinced about having things on the end of his legs!

Oh but that's no good if it wakes them up! :o

Ladies, I put a playmat for tummy time in his cot and we do it there these days. He still hates it 😂 But no dog or cat hair there which is a bonus! Floor would probably be better though, so if anyone comes up with any good ideas for their tummy time/future play corner (as we know must be easy to clean!!!) then please shout. I love my pets but my dog winds me up so much with his barking and being clingy now, and the cats with their fur that I honestly wish we lived in separate houses 😖 It'll probably settle down/pass, I'm just highly strung now when it comes to Leo's weaning and keeping the place tidy. When he's mobile it'll be just as bad if not worse though, I already hoover nearly every day fgs 😳

So my period is evil. I woke up today, went to the bathroom and it was just like after the CS, the floodgates of hell have reopened again straight onto my floor. I always had heavy periods but this was something else, we're talking everywhere. DH had to come in and help me as I nearly fainted (not great with seeing a lot of blood unexpectedly). Wasn't just gravity as the pad was totally soaked. This isn't normal, but I keep telling myself maybe it's because it's my first one after the birth? When should I start worrying? I can't live like this 😔 xx

I just 'put a blanket down as yes the carpet is grim D: Or the play mat. We have a playpen that raises up like a cot so we have one in there which is easier to see him on.

Pansy maybe see if it settles down next month and if not ask to see your GP. There are things they can do but don't be fobbed off! One of my friends has just had an op and she'd been struggling for 15 years :( it actually turned out the op was unnecessary and she passed a massive fibroid and that must have been what caused all the discomfort but they never found it even when she was pregnant with her next baby!

Or if you are filling a pad in less than an hour or feel weak from blood loss, you can go to out of hours/A&E today.

I am thinking about a playpen, what kind of thing do you have, Bertie? I had two for my cats when they were kittens, now it's baby's turn 😂

I will, thanks Bertie. I'm thinking longer term I can't be like this when I go back to work for obvious reasons! I'll wait till next month and then straight to the GP if my next period is as bad (unless A&E needed now, I hope not). Or I will check with my private healthcare through work, previously they didn't cover anything ante or post-natal but we have a different cover now. I just don't know what this could be. I'll look up fibroids now. xx

I have a very heart dog (golden lab) and the amount of hair is rediculous- it actually drives me mad. I’ve often said I’d love to shave him 😂 I just put an extra large Muslim or blanket on the floor and lie baby on that when doing tummy time. My dogs getting on a bit so he’s not likely to tread on him, not that I leave him unattended just incase!

Good shout about marketplace @PurplePansy05 I’ve found someone willing to post three new bamboo plates with the suction thing for less than £20 so winner!! I’ve not had my period yet but I do remember after DS1 my first period was horrendous, I think it’s normal for your first one after birth but obviously keep an eye on it! Hope your feeling okay.

@Fran919 lucky you re sex! 😂 I still find it really awkward with a baby in the room as well!

@BertieBotts I missed what the weaning test was I think! Do you mind telling me again? Sorry to be a pain!

Actually I’ve found your weaning test Bertie! Thanks for the info, will give it a go!

I’ve also found a useful app about different foods, how to serve for different ages and other useful info- it’s called solid starts. Would recommend.

Yes I love the solid starts insta account and got the app from that. Really useful.

I don't know if tehy make this kind of playpen in the UK any more, it's a frame made out of wooden bars, exactly like cot sides, that collapses flat, on wheels. Then when you open it out into a rectangle you can lower a flat padded board into it that serves as the base. You can have this at one of three heights, similar to most cots. We have a mattress for it as well so it's basically just a squarer cot. You can get hexagon shaped ones too, they are really common here. We mostly put him in there to give him some space from the 3yo, once he gets mobile I'll probably just let him on the floor, grit and hair and all...

Hello ladies hope we're all well.

It's been lovely reading posts from all of you.

So I just wanted to know if anyone is going through this. My DD is 5 months tomorrow. We think 4 month sleep regression hit us late. Like last week. She's breastfed except for her night bottle. She used to sleep 9-10 hours in her cot all by herself.

Since last week she's waking up every 20-40 min at night. Daytime naps are really short almost non-existent but then she has one long nap in the early afternoon. Her night time routine is off now and she sleeps anywhere between 9:30-11 and then keeps waking up. She doesn't want to stay in her cot. She's teething too so after like 10 attempts of picking and putting her down I give up and let her co-sleep. By that time it's usually after 2 am.

My DH and I are super exhausted. Please tell me there is going to be an end to this and if there's anything I can do to make her comfortable?x

Is she teething? Maybe try calpol before bed to see if it helps?

Welcome back @Whatshouldbemyusername, great to have you back :)

Does co sleeping put her to sleep? If so, can you put up with that for a little while until this period of disturbed sleeping or teeth pain passes?

Does calpol help?

Thanks @BertieBotts and @RandomCatGenerator x

So I haven't given her calpol yet. Just the ashtons teething powder and gel. I will try calpol tonight. Thank you for the tip

She does sleep when we co sleep but wakes up two- three times for a feed. Also truth be told am abit nervous co sleeping. I mean I could do it but let me ask you does this sound like regression or just teething? She's also been getting the runs too so last night all her clothes got messy etc. She's also super clingy now and mostly at night just wants her mummy to put her to bed. So I have to rock her to sleep and after all the awakenings I have to keep going and she's about 6.7 kgs now! She's quite heavy.

Also think I'm getting my first period pp. it's not heavy or anything but my body is aching and super super emotional.

Am sorry to have made a reappearance with such a gloom. I just had to let it out and see if you ladies could help me x

Ooh the runs and crying lots / clinginess - could be that she’s a bit unwell? Maybe worth a trip to the doctor?

Teething can apparently lead to loose bowel movements but there’s no scientific evidence for why - wouldn’t want to miss an actual case of diarrhoea.

Can’t comment on whether it’s regression or teething but I hope it gets much better x

@RandomCatGenerator thanks. Not crying much but defo clingy and apparently it's all normal when teething but boy is it exhausting.

I will call the docs tomorrow and see what's going on. Thank you so much. Hope your little bubba is well x

@Whatshouldbemyusername my little girl has had the runs for a couple of weeks now I think it's partly to do with her Cold and partly teething x

I co-sleep full time and he still wakes up a couple of times in the night for a feed. And at least twice during the evening when I'm not there. He sleeps the longest stretches during the night or early in the morning if I get up with DS2 and he's still asleep he will sleep until about 9.

I don't know if a "sleep regression" is really a thing, it's just that lots of things happen to coincide at about 4 months that all affect sleep at once, so there is a rocky patch and many people describe it as a regression, but it's not like a hormonal thing that is caused by something if that makes sense? It's just a way to describe that 4mos are shit at sleeping :o It will get better by itself, but it is unlikely to go back to exactly how it was, as this age is when they have a change to more mature sleep cycles, so they will never sleep like a newborn again. Newborn sleep is the one that is different - that really deep sleep that you can move them through several positions and they are constantly making little expressions and sounds in their sleep.

If it is helpful, the most modern/up to date research apparently shows NO difference in safety between co-sleeping and cot sleeping after 4 months, and that is admitted even by the really anti-co-sleeping people (according to my admittedly very pro-co-sleeping book :o) Before 4 months it is accepted as a higher risk (but there are ways to reduce that risk) but afterwards there is no difference unless you're doing very risky things like drugs, alcohol, sofa sleeping, excess bedding etc.

@Whatshouldbemyusername sleep wise sounds a bit like us here too I'm knackered!
I did phone dr as mil suggested maybe it was her ears as she didn't want to lie flat. Dr said "have you tried giving calpol before bed? You should have tried that before phoning us it's probably teeth"
I gave calpol at 4am this morning and dd then slept from 445 to almost 9am! 🙈 had been up at least hourly and often even more than that until then!
Teething shouldn't cause diarrhoea but could cause nappies to be louder than their normal.

We tried cucumber today dd loved it! I think the coldness was helping her gums

How are your pelvic floor muscles going ladies who were vag births? Mine are still not great but I think it's because I've had this cough so I just pee each time I cough hard! I've been trying to remember to do my exercises but it's not really top of my list tbh.

I think DD is on the road to teething. She is biting my nipple quite a bit which I think is a sign. She smiles at me as she does it the wee madam.

I've started co sleeping again from 5 or 6 am. It does work and I feel better about it now that she's bigger. Still don't sleep all that well while doing it and can't imagine doing it all night

@Whatshouldbemyusername Hugs xx I don't have anything to add in addition to the wise words from others! I would just say all hail Anbesol liquid for teething and I can't thank you enough for recommending it, girls! It's like a little bit of magic when teeth really bother him! I only use it once-twice a day max but no Calpol needed thanks to it.

Also I know it's controversial and some people disagree, but solids seem to have helped our daytime nap issues. Maybe a coincidence, but he sleeps so much better now and actually wants to have a nap. It could be he grew out of reflux and is more comfy. But I have a child who now enjoys his afternoon nap!!!

I bought a travel cot today, as an in-between the N2M and the big cot and we might travel with it. Doubles up as a playpen too and had very good reviews, it better live up to them! xx

@BertieBotts thanks babe. I guess I could co sleep for a while. I have given her calpol and put her down at 9:30 but she's already woken up 3 times between then and now and it's not even 11! 🤦🏽‍♀️ x

@Smurf123 my book says teething can cause runs but as mentioned earlier not scientifically proven or anything. However @lucyrp my father said my sisters and I all got the runs when we were teething. Not sure if it's a coincidence 😳 x

@PurplePansy05 ah thanks babe. Will get anbesol tomorrow. X

I've left her with her dad at the moment and I'm gonna go do my nighttime skincare routine coz I do need something that's mine at the moment. I am exhausted beyond anything and tomorrow her sensory classes resume for the new term ...

It's 2am and I've not had OH come get me to feed DD since she was put down at 7! I'm slightly worried but don't want to go check in case I wake them. I'm in the spare room and we usually swap by now. I can hear OH snoring though.

Brilliant start to the monster train journey - DS (who barely ever throws up) threw up in the car just before we got out, and then the station toilets were closed. I know I can't easily go on the first train so hopefully I won't need to! He's being a pain in the arse lately so the day can't go quick enough!

@Ready2020 what happened with DD in the end? Glad she did a longer stretch. Hopefully the start of many!