December 2007: It's all worth it for the smiles.

[claraquitetirednow]

I've never started a new thread before - has this worked?

Yes - I wonder if it's do with the muscle under the breast? I believe you may still producing relaxin if you are breastfeeding, as when you are pg!

OK is it just me who hasn't got any kind of recognisable routine? Actually he kind of does - he is awake by 5 -6am, has a feed, and is alert and plays for a little while, then has a kip around 8am - 9am. Then we go out, he feeds every 3-4 hours and catnaps in between times. Then from about 4pm onwards he feeds on and off until around 7.30 - 8pm. DH normally gives him a bath around 7pm. I usually put him down in his Moses basket after his last feed after bath. He then sleeps for a couple of hours and then has a feed around 10pm -11pm ish. Then he needs a feed every 2 - 3 hours during the night.
So I guess that is sort of a routine! But one set by him rather than imposed by me!

Thanks for all your kind msgs, i just want it to be over and done with now..We don't know when it will all happen yet, waiting for appt in manchester (that's a 4 hr round trip for us)

BT, nah we're not routine led yet and won't be for a while, i'm not bothered a he's so tiny yet, dd found her own routine by 4 months and she was fine... We do some things at similar times though, like a bath every eve and a bottle aound 10pm but I have no idea when ds wakes at night as i just roll over and feed him! Usually twice. During the day he feeds whenever he gets the chance for however long i let him!

Suey, are you still using moltex?I'm getting naffed off with them as they leak a lot atm. Perhaps i need the bigger size, he's 5.6kgs and the minis only go up to 6kg....

Its true about changing times on weaning, dd was given solids at 12 weeks as that's what was recommended then, just 8 yrs ago..It went up to 4m and now 6m - there's no way i'm waiting that long to wean ds-probably nearer 4 months though but then i look at dd and think well it did her no harm....

What time do you all put LO's down for bed at night?

Im getting to the point where we are still doing feeds/naps when I wonder if it should actually be upstairs in her little bed and tread the feeds and wakings as night wakings?

Hi Pecka, Louise goes down at 10pm after her last feed, she started by waking at 1/2am then 6am, it then changed to 4am then 8am, now its only 6/7am.
We've been for her first injections this morning, bless her, she's fast asleep now since them at 11am, wonder if I should wake her for a feed or wait until she wakes herself.

Ambi I have that dilemma quite often with DS, do I wake him for a feed (thinking if he doesn't have enough in the day he'll wake more at night) or just let him sleep til he wakes. When he was really tiny I would wake him although it wasn't always successful he often would just have a slurp then off to sleep again but now he's a healthy weight and growing well and is 7.5wks old I let him wake for his food (unless I know he hasn't eaten very much for a really long period then I would take action).

Pecka DS has started to have his longest sleep stretch from 7pm ish so we've changed his bath time to 6.30 (so he has it with DD) then he is not interested in anything but sleep from 7ish. It was the same here, he would feed in the evening then sleep for a couple of hours then feed then sleep for a couple of hours and really I thought he might as well be up in the bedroom and that's when he started having a longer stretch of sleep. It isn't that consistent though (even though we still put him up at 7pm), sometimes he wakes at 10.30 and other night it's 1 or 2am.

We are a tired house today, DD woke about 5 or 6 times from 11-7am and needed a cuddle then a blanket then some teething gels to help her (she's 2) then DS waking for feeds at 3.30 and 6. DD is now asleep in her pram but guess who is having his alert and wakeful period!

We have beautiful weather here today, clear blue skies and lots of sunshine - I hope you are all having the same.

macdoodle - we seem to be mirroring eachother. I still havent lost preg weight and samuel was 12lb6 at 6 week check. Blame lack of weight loss on my huge bust and my huge appetite exclusively b/fing too. Re the PND thing, with ds1 i had severe pnd (only picked up when ds1 was 10 months old)ended up in mother and baby unit. Was very bad. Had no screeing questions either. Tbh tho I feel so much better and it is different from when i had ds1.

LIzzer - sorry that your ds needs op

Dundee - I was told that green poo can be because the baby is just getting foremilk and not enough hind milk. If they just take the foremilk they can end up very windy as well with colicky type symtoms. How long does she feed for? With Samuel I keep him on the same breast for up to an hour (if he feeds for that long which at times he does) then i offer him the second. Otherwise he would just take off the sweet foremilk which is more like a drink than a meal.

meme - solids at 8 weeks how come? Physically the babies digestive sysyem isnt mature enough to manage solids.

Pecka - put DD2 down for night sleep between 8:30pm - 9:30pm. Try to dream feed just before I go to bed around 10:30pm, but she nevers drinks more than 2 ounces. Then she'll wke around 2am, 5am, 8am ish for feeds but will fall asleep after each feed and properly wake up for the day at around 9:30am (get a nice lie in if DD1 doesn't go to nursery )

Solids at 8 weeks? , why?

Blimey wish Evie was sleeping as well....she goes to bed with us about 10pm sleeps through to about 6ish with a couple of dream feeds (lasting about 3 minutes) and then about 7 she is sick all over my side of the bed....she then doses whilst I get the dds dressed and up and can sleep again till about 10/11 - after the school run.

I am also a little about solids at 8 weeks - not judging you but why? Are you sure your db is getting all the nutrients she needs because I am not sure her digestive system can digest solids yet?

lizzer i am still using moltex and i do find them leaky. But, when i was in scotland mum had bought pampers and it was just as bad. DD is about 5.5kg now so maybe it is time to move up a size?

running i have had a couple of responses. One said that the main reason she doesn't recommend it is that she finds that for many people, their supply diminishes. Both responses stressed the importance of a good bra. So i guess if there are no supply probs, and you can get a running bra big enough () then it's ok.

aaaaaaaaaaaargh i just typed a mahoooosive post with replies to everyone in it - and have just lost it!! been posting and lurking on the bf-ing forum due to all my bf-ing woes....

but have just read through all the past week or so on here

so just wanted to say HELLO!! and glad everyone is doing well and/or struggling with the same things I am!

loucee hope you are feeling well, amani too - i am still not sure whether i have pnd or am just truly pissed off with bf-ing!

basically...
work - i go back full time in June . gutted but we are skint, no option. thankfully i will then have the hols (I'm a teacher) then back again in august

routine ha ha ha! well, we kind of have one but dd has set it! However if it wasn't for her feeding/weight gain issues I really would have nothing to complain/worry about - she really is a happy wee soul, and has even managed once or twice.....gasp...to settle herself!!

feeding - still bf-ing but it's been a bit awful, and dd still not gaining much weight...hv's pushing formula which I want to avoid for as long as poss, bf-ing people have been great but it's all "go to bed for 3 days with your baby to get your supply back up" etc - it's just not realistic.

pecka how are things with your dh? mine has been fab but i do see a decline, it's like the novelty is wearing off. he used to bring me snacks and stuff while i was bf-ing, now he walks past me on the couch i think he doesn't even see me there any more, i've just started to blend in with the cushions! he also went off for an early night the other night claiming to be exhausted - i almost killed him but instead opted for making him do a 5am nappy change ha ha!

sleep - we are getting some!! hooray!! 12/1 until 7ish which is just fab, although dd seems to be "stocking up" for the night by cluster feeding from 4/5pm onwards - the sleep aferwards makes it bearable though - just.

speaking of which she is just starting to look for yet more to eat....

ps lizzer so sorry to hear re your ds. hope the op is soon.

Caz10 - sorry to hear of your bf woes! Have you got your childcare sorted?

Suey2 - surely your supply going would be true of any excerise. I have just started rowing again (very gently - on an erg)...really want to lose some weight but hopefully not my milk supply!

Horrible night last night awake from 2-5 on and off and she is usually such a settled placid little soul...been a star today and been down since 6:30pm - so what are my odds for a good night tonight..
I just don't get this dreamfeeding stuff - how do you get an asleep baby to feed ...mine just not interested unless I wake her fully and even then won't latch on if not hungry ....
She looks like a little porcelain dumpling with crystal clear skin big grey eyes and giant hampster cheeks and oh those smiles worth any lack of sleep

macdoodle - perfect description!!! a pocelain dumpling with hamster cheeks - love it!
i don't get dreamfeeds either, dd has to be really wide awake to feed.

cazzy - we are v lucky with dh's shifts, we should only need 2.5 days with someone else...going to approach the grannies this month, then look for a childminder if that doesn't pan out.

oh and forgot to say meme - solids??? - what type of things? did your hv advise that?

poRcelain even...

lizzer - we started with moltex and they have changed the design since ds1 (20mo) was born and I don't think they are as good, I raved about them before and this time I found them leaky but maybe ds2 is just a diff shape? found boots own brand really good till we got into reusables a few weeks ago

suey - thanks for running advice I don't do anything strenuous but will bear it in mind - I'm convinced my milk isn't as calorific this time round as I'm rushing around after ds1 which is prob why ds2 only poo's once a fortnight as he needs everything he can get!

lovely day here, potty training going well - no wee accidents this week, not so realiable on poo front, yuk!

sorry a flying post running bras can anyone recommend a good brand? I have always bought quite rubbish exercise bras but having read Suey's information I want to invest in a decent one but am clueless about which brand.
Suey do you know if swimming is ok? I asked the Doctor at DS's 6wk check but he sort of laughed and just said "just take it easy" and I don't know what he meant by it but suspect he didn't know?

Caz sounds like you're doing fab to be still having issues with the breastfeeding. I'll go and have a look at the bfing board to see your posts. My DD was a slow gainer and it felt like all I did all day and night was concentrate on the breastfeeding.

Macdoodle just checked your profile to see your pics and oh wow your DDs are gorgeous. Never managed a dreamfeed either!

Cazzy well done on resuming rowing. I'm going to do a couple of wks of exercise before weighing myself - I'm too scared to weigh myself now!

Insy quick question about the potty training. Once you've decided to start do you not put any nappies on at all? What about night time? I am not ready do start it with DD (just turned 2) but she did a poo in her potty on Friday (she didn't have a nappy on because her clothes and nappy were all soaking after her falling in a puddle in the garden)

Thanks for the insight into baby bedtimes! Its v frustrating here, Mathilda was ready to sleep at about 7 and it has taken me til NOW to get her to sleep!! She seems to struggle with the evening sleep, just cant quite get off and very quickly gets overtired and gets inconsolable.

She also cant settle herself at all - she goes to sleep either a) being bounced in her Amby b) rocked in carseat c) bounced in bouncer d) rocked in arms e)ocassionally falls asleep feeding.

REALLY dont like this, its not helping to establish EASY routine and I just know Im building a rod for my own back later - with DD and DS I was very good about allowing them settle thmselves from early on and were both absolute dreams at nap and sleeptime, both sleeping through really early too. Mathilda seems far less laid back than them though and more "high needs" - cant help but think I have lost my knack! Im a mum to 3, registered childminder and doula and feel like she has outwited me! I nickname her STEALTH!!!

Caz10 - DH been way better this week, it all reached a head on friday and i had lots of tears and he was a bit of a nob tbh but think the message must have sunk in as this weekend and this week so far he has been FAR more helpful and involved with DD.

I totally relate to your DH getting bored of feedin g- when DD was first born I was always brought a drink/snack whilst I was feeding, now I find myself trying to feed her whilst making the other two tea/put washing on/etc etc and its just expected that I should just be getting on with it!

loucee - no I didn't go all out with him in pants, I think that would have been too stressful, we had the potty around and started putting him on at key times (first thing in morning, after naps etc) and then back in nappies, anything caught we made a fuss of, then he started to get the idea and having a meltdown about nappies so let him go around bare bum at home for a couple of days (forced into nappies for going out) and we got more in potty than out of it so I bought some pants and did just pants for a couple of days and then pants and trousers and last week was first time I tried him at Child minder and toddler group - basically we went with if he improves a little every day i.e slightly more on potty than on floor then we carry on if not knock it on the head - he seems to be getting it. I'm not going to put him in pants for naps or night time for a while yet - everyone says that takes ages to crack so not worried, it still reduces my washing!

loucee - my potty trainning has always gone like this - 2 days at hoem nothing on (nappies, pamnts etc) and then on the 3rd day introduce pants and take thenm regually.

I have always waited till they were ready - save lots of trouble!

And as for nightitme nappies - it is completelty different ball game. That happens much later (or at least has done for both the dds).

dd2 potty trainned at 2.1 for daytime, is now 3.3 months and has just stopped wearing nappies at night.

Insy thanks for the pointers, sounds like your DS is doing brilliantly.

Cazzy thanks for your tips, it does makes sense that nighttime training comes later because for 1) DD is still in a cot so if she needed it in the night it would mean waking us up to go to the loo and we've got enough night wakings at the moment!

Pecka DD was the same at needing to be comforted to sleep, sorry I don't have any advice because she always remained like that but she was my first so I had the time to always help her to sleep.