January 08 shiny new - year babys , tired mums and dads!

[lilyloo]

Will that do

Neatha your putting him in it already! We looked at it today in ToysRus. Its a bit more expensive than the one you got from Argos. We did buy George a mobil for his cot though and lots of bits and bobs for ds3's party bags.

Hey everyone,

Mhy bro has lent me his laptop and I have installed broadband ready for when i get a computer so actually have time to read everything.

Am prob off to bed now tho, but think you may see a lot more of me

Hey mixedm good to know you will be around more
Madm i haven't tried that yet keep meaning to do bath with dd to see if she will do that.
Naetha glad he liked it
Gingeme can't believe you find time to get on here every day with your 5 ds you put us all to shame

hi all

hope everyone is ok.

looking for some advice re feeding as seem to be constantly changing my mind. i am currently bf and had originally planned to do 6 months. am i'm finding it so demanding we agreed to introduce 1 formula feed a day from may and gradually introduce more.

well for the last week ds has been feeding so often i am just so tired. i initially thought it was a growth spurt but it seems like his feeding has changed. he stays on for a while but after about 15 mins i can feel that he is dry sucking. it feels like he isn't getting enough and then he wants to feed again within 2 hours.

dh is being wonderful and has said we could introduce a formula feed now to give me a break. the problem is i hadn't realised how emotional the feeding issue is for me - i cry because i'm exhausted from feeding but when dh mentions putting him on formula i cry even more and feel guilty. i think becuase i set myself the target of 6 months i feel like a failure.

any advice would be gratefully received.

Sex last night. Short but oh so sweet
Sorry if tmi but had to share that with you.
Byeeeee !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

KellyAnn you need some professional and non-emotive advice to see what is happening. Call an NCT breast feeding counsellor, they can work miracles. Or visit a breast feeding clinic or cafe. Or your health visitor if she is good in this respect. The JR hospital here in Oxford has an ace breast feeding clinic, see if your hosp does something similar. It is a shame to stop bf if neither of you is ready for it.

In the short term you can give a dummy and persuade your lo to wait a little before his next feed, making him hungrier, so he will feed and fill up rather than snack. Nathan has a tendency to snack often if I let him, but only during the day, he happily goes 3 to 4 hours at night.

Stupid question and hopefully not patronising, Kelly, but do you have a break after he finishes one side, have a nappy change or cuddle and then offer the other side?

Morning! Flippin' computer didn't want to connect to the internet all weekend - grr! Need to get IT support in (aka my BIL!)

Am supposed to be spring cleaning house for Christening next weekend but couldn't resist checking up on MN now back online for a bit.

Gingeme - great pics on the montage - made me smile

As for why I have a Toy Story alien on my profile, there was a thread a year or so ago slagging off mums whose kids model, saying we were pushy parents of brats, so I posted a pic of DD2 as "model material" from when we went to Disney Paris and she shoved an alien hat right over her face 'cos she thought it was a mask! She actually looks like this: pink dress and one in the middle

Birthday was great - the meal was pressie from DH, as well as tickets to see Hamlet in November (with David Tennant - mmmm), girls bought me books, Amelie gave me 5 hours sleep! (hasn't repeated it in last 2 nights though) Friends round on Saturday night for a curry (3 of the 4 couples have kids so it's easier to just get together for takeaways than arrange sitters so we can go out - cheaper too!)

Kellyann, Madmouse's advice is spot on. My boy (9 weeks) ia also a hungry fella. Feeding can take an hour, i.e. 20 mins then we have a break, change / play etc, then 20 mins the other side usually!.

Unfortunately he does this at night too, but will sleep 2 or 3 hours in between if lucky. What I do is try and eke out time between feeds to a vague 3 hour routine, but keep flexible (only vague timings) , ie 6am feed than I take him in my bed after DH gets up for work and he dozes on me. Feed 9-10 then out for trip in pram, feed 12 - 1, another trip out or a long nap. feed 3 and 6, then at night usually around 11 and 3am. He is becoming a lot more distractible so can make him go longer between feeds by playing or putting him down while i do jobs around house etc. He still tends to cluster feed in evenings though.

I was referred to breastfeeding cousellor by my Health Visitor early on. If it wasnt for her I would have given up. The above is based on her advice. Have you got some similar you can ask your HV to help you?

I haven't seen it yet but as they get older the time spent feeding gets less and less.

Also this sounds odd but a woman at my BF group told me to eat lots of oat products, I have Ready Brek every morning and lots of oaty biscuits through the day and night and I feel it has helped with my supply.

Lovely day here, feels like spring for first time. Am going on a trip to York tomorrow to meet an old school friend and her baby!

Thanks for clearing that one up housemum. May I say your ds looks so much better in the pink dress

Oh My God I realy meant your dd realy I did, yes realy

Kellyann - the mumsnet mantra "this too shall pass" can be helpful! I have waivered several times but have now got to 12 weeks with no formula. Drinking lots of water has been ood for me. I have tried a herbal tea from the health food shop - "organic mothers' helper" has stuff like fennel in to encourage milk production. Has a bit of an aniseed aftertaste though. Maybe it works, maybe it's just the fact I've thought about it and relaxed. It's true that as they get more able to do things they feed less and can be predictable. So long as you are OK feeding when out, that can help too - if I take DD3 out, she feeds less than when we are in the house - she may be boredom eating (like me )

Gingeme - lol at the idea of having a DS that looks better in a pink dress!

housemum at boredom eating , same here never thought about lo's doing it too.

happy birthday Naetha! as spied on facebook x

happy birthday from me too

Kellyann - you've had loads of good advice already, so don't have a lot to add, except I hope things get better for you soon!

Yay MMama, you'll be online more often now! What's the latest on the BIL situation, is he moving out anytime soon (or are you)?

Housemum - good point about the boredom eating. DD doesn't seem to be hungry so often when we're out either.

Lilyloo - congrats on super post, that was a great catch up worthy of MrsMcJnr!

Ange - interesting about the oats (now I have an excuse for biscuits!). Apaptr from Readybrek, there's also oatibix, which is just like weetabix but made of oats...rather nice.

I have been thinking about starting some exercise, but am so tired all the time that its quite hard to work up the enthusiasm. I do need to do something though, starting to feel frumpy and unattractive

Oh, remember how I was so looking forward to sleeping all night through on Sat? It so didn't work out. Woke up to screaming baby and frantic dh. By the time he sorted out the bottle and warmed the ebm from the fridge, dd was crying her lungs out, so he was jigging her up and down and trying to get the bottle ready, and when it was all finally sorted, he gave her the bottle and the milk poured all over her because he'd put the wrong top on the bottle (diff brand!). This was about the time I woke up to him roaring at her to just give him five minutes, and by the time I got to him, he'd thrown the bottle across the bathroom, into the sink and was in the process of stripping her out of her wet clothes! He changed her, I fed her and didn't say a word to him about his tantrum (never mind hers!!)....but the next morning, he was really embarassed about how he'd behaved and about shouting at dd.

We've since come to the conclusion that he can't cope with nights (don't think I want to witness that meltdown again thanks!!), and he'll do mornings instead on the weekend so I can have a lie in.

Happy birthday neatha - doing anything nice?

Oh Fragolina so sorry it didnt work out but men do seem to be alot less tolerant with lo's don't they?
Had George weighed this afternoon 14lb 1oz
What was that about being over a certain weight and sleeping better?

Happy birthday Naetha xx

NIcky6 - I am looking into 2 nurserys at mom, one near Bishops stortford, its fab and a Steiner and Montesorri school...although unless i can buy some of the farmers land behind it, dont think it will work as its at capacity already, and the other one is in elm park, but thats a day care, and originally wanted a term time nursery to start with. Good luck though if you want any tips or help let me know

George slept form 8-8 the night before last and then 8-3.30 5-9 last night...not too bad at all!!!

Hope everyone is well x

not much to say... have had a pyjama day today and not done anything except abit of tidying.... feel very unaccomplished, but had a very busy weekend of visiting friends so just needed to not do anything.

Viewing a nursery for DS1 tomorrow hoping to get him a couple of sessions a week. Have been researching nannies today, altho I actually will not be able to afford one, my cousin is a nursery practioner and really wanted to move into nannying but cant because she has no experience so have been looking at putting together a package to see whether she would like to do it for us, but it will be slightly less than she earns now so trying to find ways to make it more appealing through hours, paying for Ofsted memebership and First aid etc. she is absolutely brilliant with the kids so really hoping she will go for it but need to make sure I have all of the information to approach her with.

Frag - BIL situation is the same as ever, dont know if DH might have a word after our conversation the other night but seems a lttle unlikely but I think it has got him thinking about the situation differently.

Have been applying for part time reception roles today for afternoon hours, this way I can get the kids to my mum and dads and not rely solely on ILs as that would prob push me over the edge this time.

Hope everyone is cool seems like things are slowly settling down for us all.

Gingeme - any dates flyign around for V&A in May.

Hi girls,

Frag - what a scene you woke up to! Am feeling very sorry for each of you!

Gingeme - glad for you on the rekindling of affection!

Mixedmama - APPALLED at the bus journey, glad to see more of you!

Madmouse - it sounds as tho' Nathan is progressing AMAZINGLY - Alleluia!

Nicky I am going back to work May 12th, when Cerys will be 4 months. I have a junior brief so the money is worth it and it's for a very regular solicitor of mine who I want to show that nothing has changed (even tho' it so clearly has) so I feel I have to. Am sure I will be wracked when I return tho' know absolutley it is the right thing for our family for me to be a working mum but just will miss her so so much at first. For the first couple of months she will be looked after by a very close friend of mine who is a registered childminder but who is pregnant. At 6months she will go to a local nursery where there are only 2 babies to each childcare assistant and only 6 babies in their room in total. Have met all the assistants and they seem really lovely so feel sure Cerys will be ok even if I'm a wreck. Have you seen they are starting a nursery up in Temple - not sure when start date is.

Fluffy - you are clearly being a rock - hang on in there.

How do other babies get on with tummy time? Cerys hates it so so much that I can't bring myself to make her for more than a couple of mins at a time and then I have to be on the floor with her encouraging her - she still wails. How important is it - any tips?

hi barristermum. How did cerys do at her 6 week check up re head lag, when they pull the baby up by the arms to see if they lift their head,if she did ok and bought her head up then I realy wouldn't worry too much tbh. A good way to do it to make it enjoyable though is to lay on your back with baby on your chest. George loves this and gives some massive smiles then hes got a soft booby to lay back down on when hes had enough
Give it a go I bet shell like it. Not to close after a feed though. You'd be amazed how far 7 oz of formula can gonot good for the hair either.....

Hello everyone- just wanted to thank you all for the supportr over the breast feeding trauma- still exclusively bf so thank you again!
LO is now sleeping from 8.30pm until 6am which is fab... had a wonderful day today, bought a huge canvas and got some finger paints from early learning and then made a massive collage of Ruby's feet in all the different coloured paints, now hanging in the nursery, honestly so much fun, you need someone to help but really helped Ruby to realise she owned her feet, although she did try and put them in her mouth at one point!!!! I can't tell you how fab it looks!!! Hope everyone is well, will do a proper catch up soon, feel knackered though from all the creativeness this afternoon xxx

Sounds fab bluebell
I remember doing this for a fathers day presant for dh when ds3 was very little. He realy didn't like the feeling of the paint on his feet one bit though. Daddy was very impressed with his card though

Barristermum - tip I had recently was not necessarily to put DD straight on her tummy - roll up a blanket and put this under her chest so her arms are free, and see how she goes as she can see/do more than if she's flat on the floor - perhaps do this with her facing you and you lay on the floor in front of her? Easier done than described (that was a tip from the Gymboree class I go to - Amelie is fine with being on her front but quite a few others aren't - my DD2 wasn't a fan but she was fine and did everything at the "right" times)