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! 🥰

@biscuitcat sounds normal to me as well. Isaac has rolled probably 3/4 times from front to back and still hasn’t done the other way yet. Pretty sure DS1 didn’t roll until 7/8 months? He just didn’t want to do it and had no interest in doing it.

Sitting sounds right on track- can’t sit unaided hear yet either.

Don’t worry yourself, every baby is different with milestones

How did your night go @Smurf123?

@biscuitcat except no rolling at all here 🙈 I feel like he did loads of things really early but then hasn't done anything new for a couple of months 😂 he has of course...probably....

Phew thank you all 😮‍💨 I managed to get onto an American website saying see your doctor if they aren't doing xyz by however many months and got spooked!

@biscuitcat dd has rolled back to front a good few times only in the past couple of weeks and front to back only once or twice, sitting wise she still needs some support and even in the Tripp trapp I don't think she is very steady as there's so much space round her. She is 6months now so I think it's normal. And seriously a week ago she was needing a lot of support to sit still

@Magik01 hmm she was up again at 10, 1230, 3, 5 and 8
But I think I slept better for the times in between as I was in my own bed. Try and again tonight

@biscuitcat Leo still only ever rolled once, months ago. No interest in it now. He'd go on his side but not fully roll. He sits really well now, but this has progressed really fast - started off at 5mo, at 5.5m he could sit unsupported and not fall to one side for a while. He can also lift his hands and reach out/play - as of last week. I was really surprised with the speed of this. As other ladies have said, I think the main thing is that they are developing some skills and building up physical strength. This doesn't always happen in the same order and sometimes when they are perfecting one skill they leave the other one for later. Rowan sounds totally fine! Who knows, next thing might be rolling over or like Leo he'll decide that he loves sitting and will continue to work on that 🤷🏼‍♀️ They're funny little things, I'd love to know what goes through their heads! xx

When they start rolling but only one way, you think it was easier when they didn't 🤣.
He spent a while getting so close then rolling back, now he can roll he can't do the other way and gets frustrated. Even though he was doing this most of the time when leaving to roll the other way 🙈.
Also, in the terrible night sleep camp too. Since just after Xmas, it seems to have for slightly better but still every 1-3 hours.

We're about every 3 hours through the night atm. This is pay pack for the reasonably easy night we had to start with 😂

Solidarity with those of you also having bad nights. Between teething and a big poo brewing (pooing pattern has changed since weaning started), DS has been awake every three hours for the past few nights. Tonight has been worse - bed at 1800, awake and properly shrieking at 1900, 1930, 2100, 2230. Not at all like him. Poor DS seems to be in a lot of discomfort.

FWIW on rolling, at 5 months 1 week, DS regularly rolls now from back to almost front. No interest in going front to back - he’s done it maybe twice. He did it REALLY early, probably by lucky flailing, at like a month old. Since then, nothing. I’m not worried, everything looks like it works, he’s just not particularly interested nor coordinated it seems!

Three and a half weeks until we return to the U.K. and I’m getting a bit worried about weather. Delhi is “severely cold”, the coldest January on record - it’s 14.5 degrees…. Are there any musts in terms of clothing and equipment that you ladies would say I should purchase before returning?

@BertieBotts thank you for all your car seat advice. I’ve gone forever the Joie Spin 360 I-size as it looked like it had what I wanted for now and we needed something for my dad to pick us up from the airport with! And if it isn’t quite right, then it’s still a valuable if expensive lesson to learn. I’m sure we will be able to pass it on or donate it if it is very lightly used and never in an accident.

@biscuitcat you’ve explained where DS is too with sitting! Totally normal.

Also. I haven’t said it for a while also, so: I love these threads. Having you guys to discuss this stuff with is so great. Thank you xx

We have the I spin for Iona and love it,she's really comfy looking and had a good safety rating. Probably getting another for Alasdair as Iona is 2 in May and is still under 12kg so likely to get to 4 in the seat.

@biscuitcat I also think normal! What I’m learning is there a wide range of normal, I stopped googling after I was convinced something was wrong when we were getting late smiles/not enough smiles and poor eye contact. All I’ve really compared to is my NCT group and I seriously don’t know what’s in their breast milk because not only are these babies huge but they all seem to be hitting milestones ridiculously early (I think I said before ninja baby has 3 teeth!!!). I was asking about teeth the other day and I saw Binky from MIC posted on Instagram at the weekend that her son had 2 bottom teeth, he’s 2 months (ish) older and that’s when I’ve allowed myself to google, I had no idea there was such a range… so I’d say 5.5 months he’s doing fine. There was also a poll on the August 2021 babies group on Peanut that asked if babies were sitting unaided and when I voted it was overwhelmingly no they weren’t, a baby I know from Peanut is 6.5months and has never attempted to roll and there’s no concerns with her. So I think Rowan sounds fine!

@Daffodil21 I’m sorry I’ve just realised I’ve never replied to your 8oz in the night reply (well, I think I replied in my head 😂) Is he still doing that, if so, that’s impressive! I wonder what changed?

Food is getting better over here, he had half a banana, complete with wormy poo 🤢 and a lot of carrot purée. @Magik01 your list sounds amazing! I can’t imagine him eating an omelette yet but I think that’s probably my own nerves. Naps are still crap, he did 50 mins the other day but they’re all generally half an hour and he seems to wake up tired.

@RandomCatGenerator did you go for the bilingual nursery in the end?

Sleep is weird here, I can’t complain because he was only up once last night but it was a shock, he was just wide awake babbling away in his cot. I thought now teeth were through we’d be through the worst of teething so it’s probably not that? I can hear my husband trying to put him to bed and there’s a lot of wailing come from the bedroom…. I guess it’s normal sleep peaks and troughs? Sorry so many feeling sleep deprived, hoping for a better night for all tonight 🤞🏼

Oh and I keep meaning to ask about eye colours! Baby has blue eye still, really really baby blue, we are all brown/hazel eyed so will be very surprised if he was blue eyed, when do they start changing? Has anyone’s babies eyes changed colour yet?

@Inmypjsagain yep, still 8oz. I gave him some baby rice with banana late evening as well in the hope it would fill him up for longer. Nope, still finished 8oz off at 9pm, then had another 8oz feed at 1:15 🤷‍♀️

My DD started rolling from back to front at 5 months but I'm pretty sure it's because of all the tummy time she gets when I feed her. I only feed by the laid back position so she's got a strong neck and back. She's not great at sitting up yet though or rolling from front to back. She has rolled front to back but only a few times.

I'm having baby name regrets! I don't not like the name Rowan but I'm finding it hard to say. I have a stammer and my partner said I could come up with names I felt OK saying but we've ended up with a name he chose after being undecided for ages after the birth. I wanted Maeve but at the time OH vetoed it but now says he didn't! Anyway it's a bit late to change it and like I say I do like it but my silly brain just can't get it out of my mouth! It's a question people ask so often so I'll need to just deal with it.

I'm still not quite finished with post natal recovery apparently. I've had blood tests to check my iron levels which are now normal but my platelets are too high for some reason. I feel totally fine but I need to go to the haematology department for investigation. It might indicate infection somewhere but who knows.

Sleep here hasn't been terrible. We've had some 4 hour stints and a few mornings where she's slept from the 4am feed to 7.30! Usually she's awake at 6am and needs taken in to the bed. I find she's waking mostly in the 3 hours right after being put to sleep. I think it's hunger as she's still a bit distracted during the day.

OH now sleeps in the room with her until the 4 or 5am feed. He can just fall right asleep when she settles but i just get restless and wake her. I think it bodes well for her being in her own room.

Sorry for lots of messages, I should get better at writing one! @RandomCatGenerator 14 degrees cold?! Imagine! It’s only about 4 in London atm but I think it feels colder, probably the wind. Is Solomon still in the bassinet? If so, lots of blankets and a hat that fits! If he’s upright in the pram, a good pramsuit and/or good footmuff. I love the bugaboo one I have but have seen some babies in sheepskin ones and they look really cosy. Our pramsuit is Mori and it’s nice and soft, not sweaty at all. We have an H&M but must not be cotton as he seems to get a bit sweaty in it, so we dont really use it. You might want to get some pram glove things too (but tbh normal gloves are just fine but they’re a faff when you need to get stuff out your purse/use your phone). Also using a balm on his cheeks, chin and nose when we go out to protect from any chapping. I guess you might need a higher tog sleeping bag unless your indoor temperature is likely to be similar here (our heating is always on pretty much so bedroom never really gets lower than 21 degrees!) but I can’t think of much else?

@Daffodil21 hungry baby! Let’s see if the rice helps. How much is he drinking a day, do you track? We’re on about 1350ml a day (plus food now) last feed will have been half 6 and he won’t eat until the earliest 7am tomorrow (and he’s often not interested in breakfast!) wonder if there’s a way you can space feeds that might help but if he’s waking up hungry then 🤷🏼‍♀️ or maybe a growth spurt!

Not sitting alone here yet but just tonight he figured out he could roll over several times in order to get somewhere else and he was doing that to reach toys :o He can only do it in one direction. Then he was trying to do it with toys in his hands which was less successful!

Joie i-Spin is a great seat. We have the non i-size version and DH is already looking forward to when we move DS3 into it because of the spin.

Thank you everyone else who has replied too - I've lost track, but really reassuring to hear that everything all sounds normal. It's so easy to worry isn't it!

@RandomCatGenerator I absolutely love the Tuppence and Crumble star wraps, we have a few! In the pram he goes in one, and then also in the footmuff (we have a sheepskin one, and he looks so cosy in there, I wish I could travel like that!), and they're great in the carrier too as they're less thick than a full pram suit.

@Inmypjsagain still blue eyes here! I have blue eyes and DH brown, though his dad is blue. I'm hoping they stay as they are because I love the colour. In my NCT lots of babies' eyes have started changing already, but I have friends whose baby was blue eyed until past 6 months and is now brown/hazel, so who knows!

@RandomCatGenerator I'd second the 2.5 tog sleeping bag, blankets and winter hats. Also cardigans and long sleeve vests and possibly some warm booties if you are planning on using a baby carrier. IME any pramsuit will do as well, it doesn't need to be the puffiest or the most expensive, just nice and cosy 😊 It has been cold here now, but if you still have around 3 weeks left I think it'll be few degrees warmer then. Unless we end up with another beast from the East, who knows these days?! 🤷🏼‍♀️ last time it was in March, I believe!

@Ready2020 Maeve is a beautiful name. I've always loved it. It's not too late to change, ultimately it's about what suits your DD best, is she Rowan or Maeve when you look at her? Do you feel anxious when you need to say her name? Also sorry to hear about your platelets, I'm glad you're getting this checked over.

Question about hair loss. I've very thick hair but I've noticed I'm losing a lot now every day, especially after I shower, wash and brush my hair. Not to mention after straightening/styling, it's even worse. I assume it's hormonal. When does it end???

Is anyone else feeling more fatigued since you've had your LOs too? I definitely am, just overall, not as strong physically and always seem to feel tired with something. I don't know if that's just being a mum or if there's something wrong. My friend who had a baby recently too was diagnosed with B12 deficiency and she had similar symptoms and now needs to have the injections. She keeps telling me to have a blood test and check for thyroid too, but I don't want to get overly worried. Is anyone else similar? xx

@Inmypjsagain the late evening baby rice and banana was last night, and he still woke up at 0115 for food so I'm not holding out much hope for tonight. He wolfed down more than expected late evening today but I imagine he'll still be up soon, so I've treated myself to a premade for one of the night feeds at least tonight 😂 I actually haven't measured how much milk he has through the day, I dread to think! I'm so envious of your 12 hours without needing to feed! I thought we were nearer to a full night sleep without a feed. Not 12 hours, but when we went to bed until we woke up at least, but now he's got worse and is throwing in extra feeds, and it seems to be slightly different each night and morning too. I've been trying to get him into more of a routine over the last couple of days but I almost feel like it's a bit pointless because he just seems to falling out of the one he almost had set himself 🤷‍♀️

@biscuitcat interesting! Will wait and see what happens but id assume they would have started changing by now, guess not!

@PurplePansy05 oh hair loss- I had a month of it being chronic. I thought I was going bald, honestly there was hair EVERYWHERE. My hair is fine as well so I genuinely was concerned about bald patches, I even bought alpecin! it suddenly stopped about a week ago. I think it’s linked to hormones, I thought my hormones would get back to normal quickly not breastfeeding but I suppose everyone’s different. I’m taking zinc, iron, calcium, biotin, collagen and…. A few others I can’t remember (lol) which is meant to help. Apparently it’s the hair you should have lost in pregnancy. It does stop but it feels like it won’t, so don’t panic. Any regrowth might look funny though, if you google image post partum hair growth, I’ve avoided that so far but I’ll update you in a month….!

And general fatigue, yesx100. Looking after a baby is full on but mentally not as tiring as working so I’m not sure why I’m so tired, especially if I’ve done a run/workout/long walk, it takes me a while to recover. I was taking vitimin b12 but I always know when I’m not short of it as it makes your pee totally luminous. I’m taking iron too so it shouldn’t be anaemia related. I think to an extent it’s normal but if you can face another blood test (flashbacks to pregnancy and being a pin cushion) it’s probably not a bad idea to check you’re not anaemic etc. post baby

@Ready2020 glad they picked up your levels are off and hopefully they can sort it!!!

@Daffodil21 yeah and he had a good routine before didnt he! Sorry I misread about the rice, well I hope for a good night for you anyway. I’d still probably try reducing his night feeds but if he’s crying then what can you do. Might be worth tracking feeds for a few days, and maybe offering an extra feed in the day? So if he’s having saying 1 litre in the course of a day and night, see if you’re able to get him to have that during the day and maybe it’ll reduce the night wake ups? Obviously not force feeding him but seeing if he’ll take it? Is that logic a bit wonky?!! Hopefully when he’s on proper food full time he’ll go back to his old routine and you’ll get more sleep! I wish sleep and feeding was linear, would make life much easier!

@Inmypjsagain worth a try. He's up again now already. This really is like when he was a newborn!