Feb 08 "Sore nips & no naps"

[omy]

Sorry guys- it is better with the date non?

hi all,
sorry i have been away for so long so will not attempt to read anything i hope you and the lo's are doing well. saba and myself are great.

Bovril i understand how you are confused about work/not working, i have always worked full-time since leaving college and when i went on mat leave with Ds1 i loved every minute of it and didn't want to go back to work, however when the time came i dropped my hours down to 16 and to be honest some days the prospect of going into work for a few hours a day cheered me up i know a lot depends on the job you've got and money/hours issues but i'm glad i went back, just for the gossip and adult conversation!!! things might be different when i go back this time as 2 children is a bit harder but i'll cross that bridge when i get to it

LOVEMYMUM it's great to hear from you, how are you really? sound like lo is doing fab xx

Egg Ds2 is continually got a froffy mouth but he is also making lots of very different sounds, so i don't know if that is causing it?

RUVA great to hear from you too xx

The work one is tricky. I had to go back as we can't afford for me to give up so it was a no brainer. Fortunately, I was allowed to go back part-time (3 days) and do like my job. I did entertain notions of wanting to be a SAHM but by the end of 13 months of maternity leave, I was actually ready for a bit of variation.

This time, I'm having the same fantasy but again, we still can't afford it, so I'll be going back, probably towards the end of the year. Spoke to my boss as part of KIT today and it was damn interesting!

No frothing here, but by eck that lad can poo.

Washable nappy question - what do I do about the gaping bloody holes between ds2's leg and said nappy? I'm using Kushies - am I missing something or does he just need to grow a bit more?

I agree what others have said re work Bovril - wait and see how you feel - you don't have to rush into any decisions. I too went back to working 3 days a week - couldn't afford not to. After ds1 it worked out fine - the best of both worlds really. When I went back after ds2 it was a lot harder - not just because I had 2 children but my workload and responsibilities had increased and I found it increasingly difficult to get everything done in my 3 day week and more and more stressful. Consequently I really would like not to go back this time. DH and I have talked about this and he would be happy for me not to work but short of living in a tent there's no way we could afford it. Would like to change jobs though but given they allow me to work a 3 day flexi week to fit in with DHs shifts I'm unlikely to be able to do that anywhere else. So not looking forward to going back but sure it'll be fine when I do.

Gill - like you, i grated my finger - however, we have lovely sparkly plasters which is some consolation!

You know i find as a first time mum, that its really exciting to have this developing relationship with ds. However, the times i have to myself when he is sleeping or with dh are more important. I'm always rushing to finish a letter, or phoning a friend before he wakes up again making demands! A great thing about being a mum too is everyone talks to me when I'm out with him, and in London that's a rare thing!

Speaking of which, any Londoners want to meet me and Tyaca for a meet up at London Bridge in the next week or so. We could have a stroll by the river and then cups of tea.

oh, i didn't mean times without ds are more important - i meant that i value this time more than i did before he was born! bit more constructive now - less telly watching etc.

hi, good to hear from you mini and ruva. glad to see that you're back on fab form tyaca and making me laugh everytime i read your posts.
i'm trying to avoid thinking about going back to work with 2. i've lost my confidence having not worked properly for ages . have to do it by 6 months or i'll have to re-train. still by then, i may be grateful of some light relief, esp. if i'm doing part time.
i'm having problems with milk supply. can't tell whether growth spurt or running out. i'm spending all day and night worrying and not knowing what to do. i know all the advice from dd when i ran out of milk with her. no idea now whether to give him extra milk to get him to sleep so i can sleep so i can produce more or express etc etc...i think i better have a sleep so i can think straight, however it's achieved. feel miserable but as things are really going poorly here don't have a moment to post-have to go as he's crying.

Not much time as usual, don't know where the days go!

Took ds to hosp app wednesday, they have confirmed benign infantile sleep myaclonia - basically it means he has non-epilecptc fit and he will grow out of it, we are releived to say the least!

He is a hand sucker too! Right hand always in his mouth, he's dribbling a lot too, so i'm guessing we might get a tooth soon. He's 16 weeks today so may be over the next few weeks?

Lovely pix mini- good to hea from you again!

Oh bugger, ds awake and yelling so have to go. Have a good weekend one and all

That should read 'non-epileptic fits'!

gingermumi so relieved for you and your family that its nothing too serious and that he'll grow out of it take care x

Princess you don't sound very happy love x if you want to top up with formula then go for it, your children need a happy mummy and you know whats best. Ds2 has a bottle every night from daddy and they both love it, it hasn't effected my supply so don't feel too bad if you want to introduce formula xxx

Beansprout - re washable nappies, you probably don't want to hear that Kushies aren't really the best nappies out there, in fact they're pretty crap IMHO. Do you have the Ultra all in ones? They were the first washables I ever tried and it put me off for months, then when DS3 was 9 months old I tried again with TotsBots and never looked back. If you've got the 2 part nappies (seperate wrap) you could get away with it by using decent wraps e.g.Motherease, but if it's the Ultras, there's not a lot you can do if they don't fit your baby well. He might fill out a bit and grow into the legs more, but they don't wash well and take ages to try, and don't have leg cuffs to hold the poo in IIRC.

My advice for an all-in-one is Fuzzibunz pocket nappies, or the Motherease AIO is actually quite good (not for newborn liquid poo though). For a 2 part nappy, Motherease wraps are bombproof, and for nappies, Motherease, Totsbots, Sandys or Bumbles are the ones that most people go for. Everyone has their own preferences and what suits one baby may not suit another, so it's trial and error. But I really would try something other than Kushies or you'll get put off the whole idea.

Hi everyone else, all well here, so nothing much to contribute on this thread...my little boy is not so little now, 11 weeks tomorrow and getting into his 3-6 month clothes!

things have hit an all-time low. only by sitting on my hands hands have i managed not to send DH a text about the poo esther's just done. and i thought i was obsessed with my bowel movements...

lovemymum - sounds like you've turned a corner, well done

ginger v glad to hear your ds will grow out of the fits. must be such a weight off your mind.

oh priness you sound v low. if you fancy a cup of tea let me know - know you said getting to the recent london meet would be a bit of mission for you at the mo, but there's a direct (if V SLOW) bus from my part of town to yours that i could brave.

mitfords - meh! you think everyone's scared to cross the river? ;-) tbh, i think i was overestimating the number of southerners on this thread.

re work - i am moving into a boarding school to avoid going back . dh's school has a few boarding houses and a role came up in one of them which he's taken. it means we'll be living mortgage//bill free. he has to do one night in the boarding house a week, and one weekend in three he cant leave the site, but still a godsend nonetheless. a couple of years ago, i would have freaked at the thought of moving there - but now v excited. the place we're moving into is much bigger than our current flat, enormous garden and secluded from the main bit of the school. all very countrysidey round there, which will be a change from grubby s london and fantastic to have dh only five min away. funny the turns life takes - cannot believe i am actively looking forward to moving into a boarding school

Hi all, have had a nice morning, DH had morning off work so I spent a happy hour in the kitchen cleaning/tidying/eating and listening to DH try to sing nursery rhymes to DS... sounded like he was trying to play the "One Song to the Tune of Another" game!

bovril - I still havent adjusted to life on mat leave, yet I hate the thought of going back.. think its a case of hormones vs neurons!!

Egg - ds has started frothing in recent weeks. Think it does mean something as HV asked me about this once (before he started doing it) but I forgot to ask why!! Hope it does not mean teething, thats all I need!

lovemymum - glad you are feeling better, do make sure you get enough time for yourself if you can!

princessllama - really sorry to hear about your feeding problems. I have been having my own milk supply problems big-time and am now supplementing. think the clincher is: is your DS doing his 6-8 wet nappies/day, pooing as much as before, and gaining weight? If so, that means it is a growth spurt and you should keep feeding as often as he wants, you will be producing milk even though you feel tired - it is when your breasts feel emptiest that you are giving him the most hindmilk-rich milk iyswim.

But if he has stopped weeing/pooing or is not gaining weight anymore, you may need to start supplementing - formula's usually easiest and quickest if you are sleep-deprived, but if you can express milk after feeds that will help stimulate your supply. Sorry if you know all this already, but I didn't at the start so have put it just in case anyone else on this thread is going through something similar.

tyaca - lol at the poo texting - I have to say DH got home from work yesterday and said how's DS been? and I said excitedly "He did a REALLY massive poo!!!" Not sure that what what DH actually meant...

Mitford / Tyaca - I'll come! Can get a bus to london bridge.

Princess - please try not to worry. One big bottle of formula one night could be just the ticket to getting back on track but 'm sure your supply is fine...... Can you definitely not make it out at the mo for a meet-up?

Bean we are finding the folded fabric inside a bambino mio wrap works fine. Also have one motherease nappy and wrap which is great if £££ but had to give the wrap away as too tight for his chubby legs.

Had 2nd set of jabs today and he's been pretty unhappy all afternoon. Baby clinic runs from 9 till 11 and I woke up at 1020!! Still made it though by 1045 - poor Malcolm was just looking forward to a bit of a snack and the usual morning singsong and flying when he was thrown empty tummied into his buggy and charged down the road only to get jabbed in his legs.... Now 15lb but given empty tummy I reckon 16 is closer.

Ginger - meant to say excellent news about Toby

I'm up for a sarf London meet up too!

Slacker - thank you so, so much for the low down. Have just washed the first batch and noticed that there were two toddler size nappies in the infant pack I bought! I thought they were big!!!! I might just go back and try and get a refund on the lot and try another type.... Fingers crossed. It's a bit sneaky but hey, this is not a cheap business.

Gill - how did your slap up meal go? Hope M is ok after his jabs. Love that top photo btw, it's a classic!

Tyaca - lol at your nearly text!! Dh comes home to tell me stuff about ministers and lots of money and I bang on about a new type of nappy or the fact that, , I managed to hoover today.

Ginger - so glad ds is ok.

Princess - sorry to hear it's difficult at the moment. Please don't give yourself a hard time for doing your absolute best. It's very intense when they are little but we will look back and see that we did just fine.

Hi to everyone else!!

hi everyone, haven't read everything but i want to come on the south london meet.
(tyaca - I am greenwich way for big scream, but considering mum and baby pool at peckham pulse which might be half way point between me and you.) I'll be the one with a big fat stretchmarked belly hanging out of an old primark bikini

hi everyone else. I have to go cos its an hour past my bed time

Thought I'd pop in quickly to say a quick hello!! Glad to see everyone's ok and hugs to those who aren't. D2 was 12 wks on wed and I can't believe its going so quickly already. He's had his 2nd lot of jabs which he's now a little bit grouchy about. Still doing really well though bless him. Definitely one though who likes to have an audience methinks - although not the old lady that tried to talk to him in the supermarket today - I've never seen such a sad face!!!
Ds1 started pre-school this week and he absolutley loved it so that's a big weight off as I need something for him at the moment as I'm finding it harder and harder to cope with him at the moment. After telling him off for something today and sending him out of the room I heard him say I hate you and could have died I always knew it would be harder as they get older
So tomorrow I'm off overnight on a hen night and I can't wait - looking forward to a little bit of a break.......dp on the other hand, not so much!!! He's now starting to worry and I've had to write out a huge list of everything that happens!! Its the longest he'll have been with them on his own and he's also got to take them out to a party - it'll do him good and maybe open his eyes somewhat!!
Anyway, hope everyone has a good weekend and catch up next week x

Woo hoo - i'm going to start a London Bridge meet up thread - I'm thinking the week after next or one after that. Come over and haggle tyaca, gill, beansprout and cosima.

Me and dh took hector to a party last night. We put him to sleep in a quiet room, but he kept waking up as people kept coming in wanting to see him.

I'm up in the night more at the moment because dh has a cough that will not go away. Tempted to direct him to living room sofa, but don't want to set that precedent really - trying to be sympathetic.

Morning all - DP is away for a day's climbing on the south coast - I am missing him a bit as we've hardly seen each other this week - I think he is a bit too but it's important for him to get away and climb when he can (would love to go myself but 7/8 hours' drive for a day trip with LO in the car? LOL)

So anyway a lovely bright day and think I might attack the garden. LO still asleep at 9am!

MissNatalie are you there?

Bean if you do get Fuzzis, don't be fooled into thinking you need loads of sizes, DD was in the large size from just under 6 months till she was out of nappies. Although the ones I've bought recently seem a little bigger so maybe you'd need medium for a few months before large. And stuffing with prefolds is fine but microfibre inserts are better IMO.

Also it's Real Nappy Week until, um, tomorrow - so you might find nappy sites with special deals on if you're quick.

And Twinkle still have old-style Fuzzis in some sizes reduced, 7.50 is a really good price for large ones which will last 2+ years.

Took me ages to catch up and its only been a few days!

Slacker - I agree with you about the nappies, totsbots are ace and you cant beat motherease wraps. DS was also in 3-6 month clothes at 11weeks he is now 12 weeks and 15lbs so he's quite a big un

We are doing well here with sleeping still. DS has been sleeping 10 - 7 for 2 weeks now which is fantastic as the builders start at 8 so there is no chance for an afternoon nap for me anymore (DS seems to be able to sleep through the noise!)

I have another hand sucker here, when we had the 3d scan done he was sucking his fingers and has done since he was born.

Hows the feeding going princess? I had trouble a couple of weeks ago but my supply did catch up with him after a couple of days.

Great news about your DS ginger

cheers for starting the meet up thread mitford - linking it here.

saturday morning weigh in. despite going to gym 4 times (i'm not counting yoga) and fastidously avoiding bread, pasta and potatoes, not a pound have i lost

ps mitfords, dh has been on the sofa for ages. he moves there when esther wakes for her small hours feed. if i'm feeling nice, i "make" the sofa for him before we got to bed

tyaca, maybe your sofa is more comfortable than ours?? it is miniscule and would constitute cruelty to send him there (even though he deserves it with his wretched coughing).