December 2007. Laughing, sitting, rolling, whatever next - sleep perhaps?

[Wizzska]

Hello ladies, will you join me here?

good on you caz and clairey for still going through the exhaustion - I am still quite plagued with guilt for starting him on baby rice but I think it is worth it for the extra sleep (although 2 wake ups last night so it's not quite the miracle cure I thought it was!). If you can wait until 6 months you will be very and quite rightly proud of yourselves.

Bouncing - if you do decide to give him some baby rice, it might be a good idea for your DH to do it rather than you - My DS won't have it from me and just turns in for a BF, but devours it from DH.

Suey - great to hear you are enjoying being back at work and it must also be great to have a nanny so you don't have to bother with taking Millie somewhere with enough expressed BM for the whole day etc. I am quite looking forward to coming back properly on 2nd June as well..

Hi lesleyella - DS tries to grab the spoon as well - we give him one spoon and then feed him with a separate one which seems to stop the tug of war! Sorry to hear about the bad nights but VERY impressed she can crawl!! Is it just me or are all the December babies really advanced - rolling, crawling, sitting up - they're only 5 months old! For the record Milo can do none of these things, but he does have the most beautiful smile in the world so that's fine with me

Enjoy your meal out fifi - where are you going?

Crossed posts clairey - you poor thing, I can't bear more than a couple of mins of DS crying - i don't know how you do it. How does your DD react when he is really screaming? Does it upset her? Glad the calpol has done the trick for now at least - the panacea for all parents of little babies

Hi all,

Oh clairey how rubbish for you, fingers crossed things improve and fwiw I don't mind you grrrr at me at all (prob the most attention i've had all year )

BT, I agree with skid on your dh doing the feeding although ds will have it from us both now. Also you have to trust your instinct on this, its current guidelines not the law and think how different each lo is, they don't all roll, walk, crawl at the same time do they? |(sorry not trying to sway you either way there)

Fifi, um yeah they don't really recommend the older childrens cereals for under 6months cos of the gluten, salt and sugar added to them but it is so annoying that baby cereals do cost a lot more.

Well, happy weekend everyone

Oh yeah i agree on the calpol Skid, so horrible to see your child in pain..

LOL Lizzer

Tis so hard when he is like that-I do everything I can for him and STILL he screams.

DD is ok with it, she used to get upset but I think maybe she is immune to it now! She does say to me "douggie's crying" and if he is on the floor/in bed etc she'll tell me to pick him up-bossy boots!

If he goes on for a while she will start to play up a bit cos I'm not giving her attention but that's pretty normal I guess. He woke up has had a feed but was still really grumpy and is back asleep now-it probably won't help the nighttime sleep but better than listening to him scream all afternoon!

Hello everyone,

Not been on for a while, but just quickly poping onto say 'hi'.

Can I just say I'm in awe of all you mothers out there who have EBF up until now. Well done! For those of you who are sleep deprived hope things settle down for you quickly.

Skid/Clairy - my DD1 is a star when she hears DD2 crying. She shakes a rattle infront of here or taps her gently and says 'Don't worry, don't worry'. Make my heart melt when she does that.

Weaning - I've been giving DD1 baby rice around 7pm at night and this has helped her to sleep through until 2am and then wake up for the day at 7am. As someone previously mentioned, it's guidelines that state not introducing solids until 6 months and it's not the 'be all and end all if you do it any earlier - as long as you are sensible. Plus don't other countries have different recommendations as to what age you should wean from - how do we know who is right/wrong?

Can I ask a quick question about periods (sorry if this has been done before): if anyone is bf/mixed feeding what has your cycle been like? Mine has been very random i.e. sometimes 5 weeks or 3 weeks between each one. Actually done a pregnancy test today as I thought I might have started a week ago, but no sign as yet. Thank goodness it came out negative - think I was just being mega paranoid as I was feel a little queezy and things felt a little weird down there IYKWIM

Hey Amani, you sound like you are doing well
I'm exBf and my periods have returned, but like yours VERY irregular! In fact there was 6 weeks between the start of my last one and the one before! From a quick poll I did a week ago, this seems to be fairly common.

Thanks to all for the advice about the baby rice, I might leave it a bit longer and speak to my HV next week and see what she thinks - she is actually pretty good, has been very supportive of my bfing (from what I have read on MN this isn't always the case!). I'm planning on giving BLW a go when ds is 25 weeks (my mum is coming up then), so it's only another few more weeks to wait.

Clairey - it does sound like Douggie is teething, Daniel has been doing the same, was very unhappy and whingy for over an hour yesterday morning and the previous afternoon, exhausting isn't it? He only really settled after been given some teething gel. Which reminds me, one of my friends has taken her ds to the dentist (recently cut a tooth) and he says to avoid Bonjela - apparently the acid in it isn't very good for babies teeth and gums. I use it but won't by it any more once this tube has run out, I also use Boots teething gel and Anbesol (which I find works the best).

Thanks BT anyone who is mixed feeding and having periods all over the place?

hi amani,
glad to hear things are settling down.
DD is exBF and i am yet to have a period

Sorry, just wanted to add - just in case anyone though I was being reckless, we have been using contra, but nothing is 100% safe (I have a cousin who fell pregnant while on the pill)...

Hi

Amani - I was mixed feeding for 2 weeks and exclusively ff since sun and no sign of a period.

I presume it will happen in its own time. I'm defo not pregnant as I'm not taking any chances in that dept. At the moment I have no intention of ever having another baby!! I'm sure I'll feel differently in a few months or years but that's my view just now.

My friend just told me that she is pregnant again, due in Nov and her other lo is only 11 months old I can't imagine anything worse!!

LOL Louise DD was only 9.5 months when I got pregnant with DS. At the time I was but my mum kept telling me not to think of how dd was then but how she would be when ds arrived-she was right, there is a huge difference between a 10 month old and a 19 month old

hi everyone. We got back from 4 nights at Centre Parcs today. It was a nice break - luckily for us, we had three days of wonderful weather, which made all the difference. And I got three hours in the Spa on Wednesday which was fabulous. I had to stop myself just going to sleep though as I wanted to make the most of all the "experience showers" and "thermal Japanese salt rooms" and "ice fountains" etc....

Lovely as it was though I can't say it was a restful holiday!. Martha was busy growing her second tooth while we were there as well as getting over a cold/cough. My nights haven't been as bad as lots of yours but we had got a little too used to her sleeping through, so when she started waking again it was a bit of a shocker!

Hopefully she'll sleep better now she's back home in her own cot.

With the weaning thing, I agree totally with those who say the 6-month recommendation is just guidance. Trust your instincts, if you think they are waking with hunger why not try a bit of baby rice? When dd1 was 4 months we were recommended to start weaning as she had reflux and was waking up screaming in pain several times a night. Our HV said that they now recommend 6 months rather than 4 to stop people starting earlier than 4. And it's not so much when you start as what you give them (eg people started feeding crap to baby's younger than 4-months). I am not giving dd2 anything except baby rice and pureed fruit or veg until she is 6 months, when we will start getting a little more experimental.

I certainly understand why some of you want to hold off (eg Clairey who sounded like you had a difficult time with your dd) but don't worry that you are going to be harming them if you start a little earlier than 6 months.

Amani - my period came back when I started mixed feeding. I only dropped one feed and there it was - wham! And has been on the dot ever since.

My dh is due to get the snip in 2 weeks time. I really don't want to get pregnant again!

Skid - please don't feel guilty about giving your ds a bit of baby rice. As I mentioned already, I really do believe we should trust our instincts and not some random advice which keeps changing and has probably been hacked together by some spotty sallow youth in the Department of Health in London (I used to work in the Civil Service so know how it works; I don't trust any of their guidance as it is usually written either by committee of some Fast Stream Wanker who wants to get his name known to help him up the slippery career ladder)...

...sorry you might have guessed this is a particular bug bear of mine!

Right that's enough from me, need to get an early night in anticipation of dd2 waking at 3am again....

Skid - Been to frankie and benny's for a meal and few drinks...it was really nice just to have a few hours alone with dp.

I also said i was hanging on until 6 months for weaning but if they are hungry what can you do. Ethan just wasn't satisfied with the milk alone and is much more settled now, he only has one meal a day about 7pm for bed though.

hi everyone
Still no internet here - I wont know whats hit me when we're finally back online!

DS is 21wks on sunday and I think we're going to start him on some rice then. I waited til 26wks with DD but she was a tiny wee thing and never slept well but DS is totally diferent and like many of you have said he is genuinely hungry and his weight gain has declined to 1oz a week. The only thing I am going to try first is increasing the ebm in his bottle before bed (he has one alternate nights) just to see if it helps his nights sleep. I agree wth clara that its a guideline of 4-6mths and tbh I feel that most HV tell you what you want to hear.

No period here either but DS is stil exclusively bfd so not expecting it back yet anyway.

Anyone else's baby not seem that interested in roling etc? DS loves being on his tummy and lifts his chest high off the ground but other that that he's just a smiley machine

loucee mine very similar to yours was 20 weeks on fri still ex BF with the odd bottle of EBM - weight gain still good though 19lbs last wed No period yet here either
Also thinking about baby rice as sleep seems to have gone to pot (though not as bad as some of you poor gals with non sleepers but a bit of a shock)...maybe today
Oh and also although twisting her head and shoulders not that bothered on rolling though likes being on her front...

Slightly better night, ds went to be at 7.30, woke up at 9.45, then 2.30 then 4, at which point brought him into our bed, then stayed asleep until 7am!
Think I might get some baby rice this weekend, and see if he is interested. I did wave my banana in his face yesterday, but he took no notice!
Claraq - glad you enjoyed your break, am very of your 3 hours in the Spa!! Wouldn't mind 3 hours in the spa, but the nearest one is 40mins away and rather expensive...

Questions for those that give baby rice at 7pm, is this just before bedtime? And do you give bf/ff before bed?

BT - WE give Ethan a 7oz bottle say about 6.30, then he has some tea, usually pureed ved or simalar about 7.30 then straight to bed after a change etc.

Loucee - Ethan can't roll yet, he gets over on his side and thats it, he doesn't really seem interested in doing much yet either.

My periods are back to normal but i haven't been breast feeding. I did get the coil fitted mid march and that has made them more painful/heavier but cycle is just about back to normal.

Im dreading tonight, im supposed to be looking after my bf's dd for the night, she's only 14 month so i'd have my 2 ds's and her, im just hoping the bad weather will put my bf off from going out!!

oops i meant pureed veg

hi guys, can't remember who said what but I'm in complete awe of how well you sleep deprived ladies are coping, I couldn't cope when dd started to wake at 6.

I cannot keep up with this thread anymore as I read it on my phone now. Hi lesleyella though, it's nice to see a newbie on here.

DD is on baby rice, purees and mashed banana. God it's messy though isn't it!

Nowt else to report, except I' m thinking of joining a sure start centre for more activities, I love being busy every day. We have; tadpoles swimming, baby group, mother & baby cinema, I still want more as she's getting older. We're going to baby massage this week.

She still can' t sit on her own, she's steady for 5secs, then wobbles then topples, it's pretty cute. Rolling - she gets onto her side but not over yet. Got her a tigger door bouncer, she loves it.

Wishing everyone a solid nights sleep.

oh I'm back to work in august, will be very thankful of the money. It's hard being off when you can't really do anything.

Hi Ambi - joining SureStart is a great idea, I joined when ds was tiny and I go to lots of different groups.
Daniel rolls onto his die and thats it. He can sit up on his own for a few seconds then topples over, sometimes he leans all the way forward as if he trying to reach his toes! He grabbed his foot once, but I think that was by accident, he was going for one of his toys.

Thanks for the advice re: food, fifi, have bought some Boots Organic rice and will speak to my HV next week.