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! 🥰

We had an absolute mare of a night last night - thinking of selling the baby! He was up at 11 (yay, much better than usual), then 12:30, 3:30, 5:45 and 7 😫 and crying loudly at 7 so the dog woke up and barked his head off meaning I couldn't go back to sleep, as DH is away so I'm home alone. I think I can feel a bit of tooth coming through and he's been having heaps of teething symptoms so that's probably it.

@BertieBotts I'm currently also feeding to sleep as it's easiest - with yours, when have you found that they've slept through? I'd love for him to go a bit longer but not really sure sleep training is for me

I wanted to ask if anyone has had their periods return yet? I've weaned off EBF so we are mainly formula feeding with some breastfeeding once or twice in a day - have been for about 2 weeks so I'm expecting my period should reset soon. Although I've read that for some women any sort of BF will hold off menstrual cycle.

I had a bit of rubbish experience over the weekend at a party we attended. It's the first time most the ppl there were meeting dd since her birth. A friend's mum comes over and ask me if I had any good news to share - I pointed at Elayna, and she replies "oh I thought you were expecting again. Why hasn't your belly gone in?"
Yes, she literally said those words. She's in her late 60s, you'd think she had more sense or sensitivity. I just replied that I was only 24 weeks postpartum and had had a CS!
Made me feel even shitter than I already do about my body. I've struggled with pelvic pain from pregnancy that's still painful, don't have childcare help to enable me to go to gym and looking at my wardrobe every morning and barely fitting into anything is depressing enough. I know she's the idiot for making such a comment but it's really played on my mind.

I'll be honest not until over 2 years old. But I never found it unmanageable. As they get older they are not waking every couple of hours.

I think I will try night weaning at about 15/18 months this time (or maybe even before 1?) rather than waiting until over 2. DS1 dropped the night wakings by himself, I just waited. With DS2 I was trying to hurry him along a bit because of the baby coming, and it was easier/felt kinder than I thought it would be so I think I'd do it a bit earlier. I remember feeling a bit exasperated by around a year last time but DS2 had very broken nights right up until I night weaned, DS1 was generally only waking once or so and not every night after about 18 months.

For sleep in general, I find it helps not to see it as a black and white thing - sometimes it can seem a bit like there are two options, co-sleep and feed multiple times in the night and it will be like that indefinitely, vs sleep training so that they will sleep through, but in reality there are so many different factors you can look at changing separately - method of getting to sleep, method of getting back to sleep, where they sleep, the period the longest stretch of sleep covers (e.g. 7pm-1am vs 11pm-4am?) gaps between wake ups, etc etc and some of this will change naturally over time whereas others might need a bit of a nudge, also you can look at changing just one part if you want to (just don't ask me how to increase sleep stretches, I don't know!)

I got out of co-sleeping and feeding to sleep before by being a bit stricter with myself so I started him off in the cot and would resettle him in the cot until our bedtime, then I just pushed the time that I was "allowed" to bring him into bed later and later. If you have another method to settle them to sleep, I guess you could try a similar thing with feeding intervals? Like first start with a rule of OK I will feed if it's been at least 3 hours since the last feed, if it hasn't been that long I'll try other methods to settle. (And if it gets to that 3 hour mark before you manage to get them back to sleep, or they are not settling then revert to feeding).

I've mentioned her before but I really like Lyndsey Hookway for sleep info, she is on instagram. Possums sleep clinic looks similar and really good as well.

This is also interesting about baby sleep in the first year.

sarahockwell-smith.com/2017/07/24/the-rollercoaster-of-real-baby-sleep/

I would note that that author is pretty anti-sleep training but I found it's an accurate summary of what normal baby sleep tends to be like if you don't sleep train.

@Dia12 I don't know if you remember my previous posts but just letting you know you are not alone! I've not had anyone say an outright rude comment like that (says more about her) but I've had multiple people say comments about me being pregnant. I've even had one say about my 'imminent labour'. I'm not particularly sensitive to it but it isn't nice to hear. I always make sure I make it super awkward for them to hopefully put them off saying it to anyone else. Also you should get yourself some new clothes, you'll feel 10x better. I've packed away anything that doesn't fit, and I have some new bits that I like and that do actually fit. I've still got a belly and I don't think it's going away any time soon, so don't worry you're not alone!

So many messages to catch up on!

No teeth here yet (or any signs of them either!) Weaning is going really well here, he seems to be really enjoying food which I’m loving too. I remember it being very stressful with my first so this is a big contrast.

So far he’s had BLW wise:
Broccoli
Carrot
Banana
Pear
Parsnip
Avocado (on its own and on toast)
Scotch pancake 😂
Almond butter on toast
Some banana and peanut butter bread things I attempted to make
Rusks (I know I know not healthy but yummy)
Cheese omelette

All pretty much went down really well, not found anything he doesn’t like yet.

He’s also loving baby porridge with breast milk. He has it daily! He tries to pinch everything out of my hand as well. 😂

I also made a pasta sauce with onion, carrot, red pepper, garlic, mushrooms and tomato and blitz it. It’s frozen in silicone molds in the freezer so easy to either make pasta with it or just as a purée.

@Magik01 Sounds like we're in a very similar place weaning-wise 😊 I'm getting some inspiration from your list!

@Dia12 My periods have returned after 5 months of BF and DS having a bottle of formula before bed. It just happened, I've not reduced BF or anything. I just think it varies from woman to woman tbh. Just to pre-warn you, my first post partum period was very heavy and unpleasant for the first 2 days - however very light afterwards. Of course might be different for you, but I'm just sharing this because I was surprised after many years of heavy periods.

Also the shitty comments are so out of place, I've no words! Just why do people feel the need to put us, new mothers down after we have just achieved something incredible (ie brought new life into this world and we keep nurturing them). Often we don't have time to look after ourselves at all. People can be so stupid. xx

@Dia12 what a rude woman!! God it amazes me how some people find it acceptable to say things like that.

@PurplePansy05 I remember salmon, broccoli and spinach blitzed was a favourite of DS1. Also butternut squash, onion and garlic roasted in the oven and then blitzed is really lovely (makes. A great soup if you have a soup maker too!)

Not going to lie I also have ready made pouches in as well for ease sometimes.

Ooo he also really likes the fruity loaf you can buy as well with the raisins and cinnamon usually in the same section as bagels/pancakes rather then with the bread.

Also plan on giving him Greek yogurt soon too. Could be mixed with any fruit purées you’ve made/brought.

Greek yoghurt is also great for mixing into things like chilli or curries if you've accidentally made it a bit too spicy/to adjust for different tastes.

We love fruity loaf here too!

Great shout with the yogurt Bertie! Never even thought of that!

Did you start with very smooth purees then progress to lumpy or did you start with some lumps?

@Dia12 that’s horrendous! What a cow! I’m so sorry. That sort of comment is so horrible. I find when I say I have a five month old people tend to slide their eyes however in subtly to my belly, it doesn’t make me feel super. But like you I had a CS and I have pelvic pain and joint pain so can’t physically do much exercise and don’t feel up to it a lot anyway. And lots of it is down to genetics anyway. UGH I’m raging on your behalf.

Dd is officially 6months today 🎉 so tonight I'm going to try her in her own room, on her own.. I can't imagine she will magically sleep any better but maybe a little? (It couldn't be much worse tbh!) last night it was almost hourly until 6am when she then slept to 8. Though she did fuss more grumbling rather than crying at 7 but I was too tired to move and was waiting on her dad to get out of the shower to take her and clearly we both fell back asleep as was then woken by the 3 year old bolting into the room at 8am.

Oh and agree with @Daffodil21 - buy yourself some new clothes, it will make you feel better to have stuff specifically for your ‘now’ body. I’ve kept some of my smart work dresses because they feel too good to get rid of, but also bought a few new ones that I will feel comfortable and not self conscious in.

Finally registered DS for nursery - starting mid March, a week before he hits 7 months. Have registered for just two days a week as I haven’t yet got a job but I think it’s important to try to start him quite soon to get him used to socialising and sharing with other children. He’s met a lot of adults but not many kids - only two or three. It looks like a nice nursery although I do wish I’d been able to go and see it before registering - not possible from overseas and they don’t do virtual tours. But couldn’t risk him missing out.

@RandomCatGenerator I don't think it matters too much at this age, meeting other kids. But they tend to go through a separation anxiety stage about 8 months so i think if you are going back to work at some point it's good to have them used to nursery/ childminder round then. In saying that dd doesn't have her nursery place until April so is going to have to get used to the change at that point but they didn't have any earlier spaces even though I booked it in October.
Dd seems fine with other adults but there's no doubt in anyone's mind her brother is definitely her favourite person! He's 3 and gets all the smiles and for a long time was the only one to get proper real giggles from her.

@Smallbean27 I started with a more BLW approach this time but the purées I am making although they are smooth, they are thick and not runny if that makes sense? Isaac seems to enjoy feeding himself more than me spoon feeding him though, I have to wrestle the spoon off him a lot of the time! 😂

I did feed him baby pasta and the sauce I mentioned above yesterday not expecting much as it was obviously thick and lumpy because of the pasta but he did surprising well with it!

Good luck tonight @Smurf123 I’m hoping that it’s a game changer for you!

Thank you@Magik01 she act down in her own bed at 745 and them shuffled but went over herself until 815 when she woke. Though the dog had also just come in and was bouncing around downstairs like a mad thing so I don't know if maybe that disturbed her. Any tips on talking a crazy 2 year old cockapoo 🤣 tbf to him it might not have been anything to do with him and just coincidence.
But hey I got to drink a hot cup of tea in silence in that 30 mins so That was a nice win

Yay! :)

Alex had some puree (jar) carrot and rice today and ate probably about 1/3 of the jar then did an enormous poo :o He seemed to enjoy it a lot.

Our purees vary, I started off with some very smooth ones but now they are more lumpy it depends on how inspired I am with the blender He doesn't mind either way.

He had a poo today whilst sat at the table eating his carrot & parsnip puree. Lush The look of love he gives me whilst pushing the poo out is something I'll never forget! xx

Laides, can someone reassure me please? I've managed to worry myself through too much googling I think! Hoping it's just FTM overthinking!

In terms of movement, Rowan has rolled over 2 or three times, but only on a soft surface (where I think it's sort of tipped him to make it easier) and not for a good three weeks now. In terms of sitting, he can do it quite well with a bit of support like being inside my pregnancy pillow or leaning on the sofa, but really only for a few seconds when he's just on his own with no support. His head control is really good and he bounces nicely in the jumperoo, and will push his feet down if I hold him standing. He's 5.5 months now - is that normal, or should I explore it a bit more with the HV/GP?

Sounds normal to me. If they are interested in something else they don't always go back and do those skills again until they need them. And sitting goes right up to 8/9 months the expected time for it.

@biscuitcat sounds like DS as well