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! 🥰

It probably is a small risk, but people often misunderstand entrapment risk, thinking a baby's head is much too big to get stuck anywhere. The problem isn't their head but their body, which is much smaller. There are tragic cases that you can read about (I wouldn't recommend looking for them TBH). I did have a quick Google tonight and didn't find any reports of travel cot mattress deaths but I believe it has happened. There was one I found in Australia where the baby had been put down with several blankets. I also remember a post on MN where a childminder said she'd had a message from either Ofsted or the local council, I can't remember, asking all childcare providers to remove any additional mattresses from travel cots that they were using, and she thought that might have been in connection with an accidental death.

I think it's definitely unlikely, and we've used an additional mattress without incident because at the time I didn't know it was a risk and the flexibility of the sides didn't really occur to me. But I just tend to think if you can avoid the risk then why not? You might as well try the baby on the mattress as it comes before you go adding things to it. It feels hard to us but they often don't mind. If they can't sleep on it then do what you need to do, but I think often people just buy the mattress without even thinking about it.

Quick check in. DD is waking every 2 to 3 hours just now and only really goes back down with a feed. I'm EBF and it's really starting to drag me down. OH thinks we should FF a bit at night so he can feed her. I'm starting to think we should.... I feel like I rely too much on feeding to get her back to sleep though nothing else works!

We use a travel cot and mattress. Not sure I see the risk but it's a go between cot until next month when she goes into her own room.

I honestly think if I have another DC I will FF. Whilst BF has its benefits that we all know about, I feel no one has made me aware that DS could end up sleeping shorter, being overly clingy for a while to the point of me not having a life, that it could be so challenging physically and mentally. That it could become more difficult again even if you think you've worked it out because suddenly they're bigger/heavier/easily distracted. I feel my hormones are still up and down and it's taken a toll on my MH. However, I know it's good for him and it's created such a special bond between us that I'm not ready to stop. I've considered it countless times if I'm honest though. I personally have a love-hate relationship with it, it might be an unpopular thing to say, but I think I've paid a huge price for this special bond and I'd think hard before I'd commit again as it's very difficult to just quit later. Anyway, my late eve ramblings. I might not have another and/or it might be easier next time. 6 weeks left for me, atm I don't think I will continue after. xx

@Smurf123 oh I didn’t see this! I joke that I could just about work as a correspondent for Sky News, especially when something big happens, I always know all the facts because I’m a bit obsessed with the news 🙈 Not so good at a time like this! But actually today I’ve not had it on since this morning.

Can never remember what I’ve said on this and what I’ve not. His lateral flows are now negative so I’m certain he probably stopped being infectious at the weekend and we just missed the main time when he did actually have covid and we were all sleeping in the same room 😂 The irony that as soon as we know about it I’m disinfecting plates etc before even carrying them downstairs and taking his clothes out in bin bags to the washing machine but I kissed him during the weak probably at his peak infectiousness 😂😂

*week

How bad is autocorrect on MN!!

I take my hat off to all of you still going with it @PurplePansy05 I threw the towel in too early but I was SO worried about the birth (biggest fear on earth) then even with the booked section I was certain I was going to die during it. It’s so weird now I think back but I was just SO sure my whole life I wouldn’t have a child and if I tried I’d die during it 🤔😂 So every minute/day/hour on the other side of him being here at first was like omg I so wasn’t expecting to reach this point. Sounds awful now actually 😂 but I hadn’t really prepared for anything other than just get the baby out and be okay so as soon as I was struggling after the section I just caved so quickly. If I manage to have another (and survive that again😂) I’m going to be more prepared for the ‘other side’ of it and be more confident with the other bits of looking after a baby so the feeding will be way less overwhelming. I still don’t think I’d do it long term though but especially with covid and stuff I’d love to have given him antibodies if I’d done it longer.

But then it’s done now and the whole thing has been a million times better and easier than I could ever have imagined. I think I really built it up to be so bad 😂

We didn’t actually get round to getting a travel cot. We took the van last time we went away and had the snuzpod and everything in it 🙈 When we go abroad in June I think the hotel provides one. I might be better getting something along those lines for the living room though so I have a safe place to put him when the dog is there. I don’t think our dog will ever be calm enough to have him down on the floor crawling about 🙄 I’m probably making matters worse by not just going for it while he’s small and letting the dog figure it out but he’s big and so unpredictable (in a non-aggressive way), he just randomly bounds about the place, jumps on sofas and stuff and is nearly 3! We’re starting training with him (again) in the new year to see if that helps at all but I think it’s just the way he is 😬

@sarah13xx last night they were discussing it but this morning it seems to be saying it is now agreed. So 10 days cut to 7 days as long as U do a lateral tour on day 6 and day 7 and both are negative. Which is I suppose the same as Denmark's 48 hours with no symptoms.

So I said about disastrous sleep yesterday. Then Sophia slept from 10-230 fed slept to 5 fed then slept to 715 so a pretty good night. She was still sleepy at 230 and barely fed which is why I reckon she was up again at 5 but also really sniffly. But still a pretty amazing night compared to what we have been getting recently

Any tips for dealing with a sinus cold and cough while trying to feed and settle a DC! It makes for a long night. I need to go into the bathroom to cough! If I go from lying down to sitting and standing the pressure on my nose shifts and I start coughing.

@Ready2020 Are you sleeping propped up on pillows? I'd say this and inhalations + breathing in steam during and after the shower are my usual go to home remedies. Hope you feel better soon and hope it's not covid- have you tested? DH's nan has had sinusitis for 50 years regularly, she was adamant that was it, turned out covid (she's fine and it didn't affect her much) xx

Glad Sophia had a better night @Smurf123 how is your DS, still climbing the walls? xx

@Smurf123 I’m just seeing that! It’s only in England so far but I’m sure itl come in in Scotland too now. I’d say he’s probably covid-free and would probably be totally fine to even go for dinner with my family on Christmas Day but if we don’t have to then it’s probably daft to go. I’ll wait and see if my Gran is going to be going. My uncle also has covid now and has been in visiting her everyday so I think there’s every chance she’s got it 🙄

I thought we'd all gone quiet for a little while - I was about to hop on and nominate either @PurplePansy05 or @BertieBotts for a new thread as they do always do such lovely intros - didn't realise there was another thread! Will catch up now!

Journey was all goood. Lots of delays but to be expected and is allowed lots of time between anyway so it was ok.

Off out tonight and grandma is looking after him 🙊

@biscuitcat we're also going to be trying for another in spring. I have a GP app on Christmas Eve about something else and I'm going to mention it to him then as need to get meds etc sorted beforehand. Hoping it will be straight forward as surely we just do what we did for Elliot again? We shall see...

I thought we were doing ok for sleep but apparently not 😂 he still goes down for the night at about 10/10:30pm which I know isn't great but if he was asleep at 7 then DH would never see him except weekends so for us, at the moment him spending time with his dad is so much more important than a 7pm bed time, but I know we will need to address this soon! He does have a sleep in the evening whic we did try and incorporate into his night time sleep but it didn't really work. Then he wakes anywhere between 3:30am-5:30am and then goes down until anywhere between 6-8am. I didn't realise it was so common for them to sleep 12 hours at this age! I still haven't actually tried @Inmypjsagain 's suggestion to drop the night feed but I'm definitely going to try it when we're back home again in the new year. I always think the more he has, the longer he is likely to sleep but maybe this is wrong!

I'm on peanut but I've never used the forum side of it, I spend too much time on MN as it is!

How exciting @RandomCatGenerator!!! When do you fly?

I will be FF next time too, with some pumping to start with. I honestly don't know how you EBF ladies do it!! Absolute hats off to you all.

Sorry for a million posts, I'm all caught up now!!

Anyone's else's LO fussy when feeding? He is 4 months next week, for the last week he has about half a bottle and then just plays with it. Plus back to 2 nights feeds rather than 1. Is it part of the regression? Or just a phase?
Didn't know if it was linked with having his TT cut or just coincidence.

Marginally better night last night- slept 9:20-midnight, fed, slept 12:20-2:50, fed, slept 3:15-4:45, fed, slept 4:55-7 fed slept 7:15-9.

I realise that’s still pretty hourendous. How are the other poor sleeping DC ladies coping in the day? Matchsticks in the eyes? 🤣 with I could have slept in until 9am with him but DS1 was up early. 😭

@PurplePansy05 I totally get you, I keep toying with introducing formula at night. When you did it did your milk supply suffer? Knowing me I’d introduce it and he would still sleep terribly.

My test came back negative after almost three days waiting for the results! But at least it’s negative.

@Smallbean27 did he start fussing quite soon after the TT procedure?

Hats off to you women who are going to try again in the next 6 months! I’m done with two and happy with that. People often ask if we will try for a girl but no, two is enough for me! 🤣

Sorry for the multiple posts I’m caught up now!

Aw @sarah13xx I don't realise you were Scotland sorry! At least if nothing else maybe it will be a bit more reassuring for you and him and ds to spend Christmas together!
My cousin is in Glasgow and due to fly home today to Belfast with her dh and he has just tested positive 😫 2 years in a row Shes missed her Christmas at home as Scotland closed down last year the day before her flight. Gutted for them!
@PurplePansy05 bought ds a winter suit and a pair of leather gloves for me and we have been braving the park. Lots.. but it hasn't got above freezing yesterday and today so it is cold!! Saturday is predicted to be -15 overnight and highs off -5 during the day so I will be thankful for Christmas presents inside that day!! Bought him a few extra things as feel sorry for him tbh. He asked to go to school yesterday lol

@Magik01 I think he had done it for maybe 1 or 2 days before to be honest. He is fine in himself.

I've just realised how my post about bad times may have come across - certainly not saying a 7pm bee time is a bad thing!!!

@Smurf123 oh no that is absolutely gutting for them 😔

@Smallbean27 he has got bad at acting like he’s sooo hungry then when it comes he’ll frantically drink it at first then when I’d usually take it away because he isn’t really wanting it, he’ll cry for it back only to want to play with it 🙄

I don’t really know a word to describe the change in him recently but he’s becoming like a proper wee person, more interactive maybe 🤔😂 I gave him one of those books that make the scrunchy noise sitting on the bed while I got ready today and it used to be he’d be able to do nothing other than just stare at the pictures but today I kept laughing at the fact it just seems to be overnight that he’s turned into a wee person, he was sitting up holding the book, turning the pages, putting it over his face etc 😂 It’s weird when it’s someone else’s child when you don’t have one you think aw great, well done them 🙄 but when it’s yours it can be a tiny thing but its like omg look at him! 🥰 Makes me realise how desperate parents must be to see/hear how their child is doing in my class when they start school too. I’ve held it together every year on the first day of school but I think if I go back (and it’s a big if), I’d probably lose it at them all saying bye now I have one of my own 😭