APRIL 2008 - We venture over to the 'other side'

[VictorianSqualor]

Our babies.

07 March: Ashton, a fourth child for gemprincess, 5lb 13oz @ 34+6
09 March: Ted, a second DS for Daftmoo, 7lb 14oz @ 36+0
21 March: George William, a first baby for KnitterintheNW, 7lb 2.5oz @ 37+3
25 March: Olivia, a second baby for TheMaskedPoster, 7lb 2oz @ 38+4
28 March: Pablo, a third baby and first DS for vacaloca, 7lb 14oz @ 39+4
28 March: Matteo Alexander, a first baby for Gangle @ 38+0 (?)
30 March: A baby girl, a second child for PortAndLemon, 8lb 15oz @ 39+5
02 April: Jak, a baby boy for rainbowdays, 9lb @ 39+1
02 April: A baby boy, a second child for bunyanvillas, 6lb 14oz @ 37+5
02April: Struan, a baby boy for Donnabels, 6lbs 15oz
02 April: A baby boy for mummyofaprincess @39 weeks
03 April: A baby girl for PippiCalzelunghe @38+2weeks
03 April: Aeryn Daisy, a baby girl for Denny185, 9lb 8oz @ 39+3
03 April: Benjamin, a baby boy for Micegg, 8lb 3oz @ 39+4
03 April: Roelof Grové, a first DS for Sal22, 7lb 5oz @ 38+5
03 April: A baby boy for siikibam, 6lb 8.5oz @39+1wks
04 April: Matilda, a baby girl for AprilsFoolsBaby 7lb @
06 April: Henry Peter, a baby boy for Sheds, 7lb 130z @ 40+4
07 April: Sebastian George, a fourth DS for Peachy, 8lb 4oz @ 41+1
07 April: Jack, a first baby for ThePFJ, 7lb 5.5oz @ 41+1
07 April: Lexie Bea, a fourth baby for babywhiting, 8lb 1oz @ 39+4
08 April: Alasdair, a second DS for bunnyrabbit, 8lb 5.5oz @ 40+3
08 April: James Samuel, a third baby for honeybee10, 6lb 7oz @ 37+2
09 April: Zara Mia Martin, a first baby for V1KK1M, 7lb 10oz @ 41+0
11 April: Kyran for rdk, 7lb 13oz @ 38+3weeks
11 April: Sebastian James, a second baby for Fleecy, 10lb 2oz @ 40+4
11 April: A baby girl, a first baby for CeylonSapphire, 7lb 12oz @ 41+1
12 April: Maya Alice, a first baby for egyptianprincess, 8lb 15.5oz @ 40+3
12 April: Sophia Viviana, a second DD for AussieDivaonaBreak, 6lb 12oz @ 39+3
15 April: Alexander Oliver, a third baby for VictorianSqualor, 10lb 3oz @ 41+0
16 April: Ailish, a first baby for Mollyfloss, 6lb 11oz @ 40+3
16 April: A baby girl, a second baby for elfsmummy, 7lb 13oz @ 41+1
16 April: Zoe, a baby girl, a first baby for ToastAddict, 6lb 10oz @ 39+3
17 April: A baby boy for paranoidmumy, 8lb 9oz @ 41+4
17 April: A baby boy, a second son for lorisparkle, 7lb 12.5oz @ 41+6
18 April: Millie, a baby girl for scorpio1 8lb 9oz @ 41+?
18 April: Cameron, a second baby for munchkinmum @ 39+5
19 April: Oliver Michael, first baby for bashboid, 7 lb 4 oz at 41 +3
20 April: Samuel, a first baby for Velbels. 8lb15oz at 41+1weeks.
20 April: Angharad Mai, 8lb 4oz, 40+6, first for 7monthsplus
20 April: Emilia, 7lb15oz, a first baby for SuzeM, 40+6
21 April: Eve, a second baby for Scampmum, 8lb 4oz @ 39+3
22 April: Sam, a second son for Soph73 @ 40+0
22 April: Molly, a first baby for EllieG, 8lb 8oz? @ 40+5
22 April: Daisy, second baby for AttilaTheHan @ 40 +3
22 April: Zoe Olivia, second daughter for Piccallilli2 7lb 1oz @42+1
23 April: Jessica Elizabeth, first baby for BabyBratt @ 40+1 7lb 12oz.
24 April: A baby girl, a second daughter for christmaspixie, 9lb 2oz @ 40+6/41+5
24 April: Miya Jade, baby girl for ShelleySare at 39+4
25 April: Amelie, a first baby for Dondons, 9lb, 41+3 (i think!)
25 April: Aisha, a second baby for Jaq39 7lb 14oz @ 41+4
26 April: Hope Olivia, a second dd for northeastmummy, 7lb 11oz at 41 .
26 April: Gabriel, a third child for Bainmarie @ 41+5
26 April: Eli Michael, a baby boy for LittleMissTurquoise, 7lb 15.5oz @ 40+5
27 April: a baby girl for Ayomi, 6lb 1oz @ 41+0
28 April: Jacob Andrew, a 2nd DS for Kaybeeand2boys, 8lb 4oz @ 41+5
29 April: Thomas Henry, a 2nd DS for TLSM, 7lb 8oz 40+3
30 April: Harry Samuel, a fourth ds for Chipmonkey, 9lb 5oz @ 39+2
01 May: Sophie May, a baby grl for Annieroo, 6lb 5oz @ 41+4
01 May: Euan George, a baby boy for Jenniejennie, 8lb @ 40+4
02 May: Robyn Olivia, a baby girl for soph28, 8lb 1oz @ 42+1
05 May: Nora Martina, a first baby for Eva07, 7lb 8oz @ 41+2
05 May: A baby boy for Beeper, 8lb 10oz @ 41+0
05 May: Gabriella Summer, a first baby for Mum2babyroo, 8lb 4oz @ 40+6
06 May: Wilf, 8lb 60z for bigbadmom @ 41+6
07 May: James Andrew, a second ds for Moominsmummy, 8lb 13oz @ 41+5
08 May: Ellie Isabella, a first baby for Carey87, 7 lb 8oz @ 42+1
08 May: Robin David, a 2nd baby for Woollymummy, 8lb 11 oz @ 41+3
09 May: 4 kittens for scorpio's cat!
10 May: Astrid Mary, a second dd for sagitta, 8lb 8oz @ 42+0

DD1 had one she put it in the bin when 2 and 1/2 and the bin men took it

DS is a thumb sucker, can't take it away like a dummy.

Thanks everyone!

off to feed A.

Sag, we're trying a dummy this week (as a last ditch before offering a bottle a day). DS 12/3 all ahd them (ds3 froma yeara s got it at CM's [hmm), and they did get obsessed but frankly peace / sleep etc more important.... far better yto miss 3 nights sleep in 18 months because dummy fairy has been then miss three months now trying to avoid using one iyswim!

I'vew used that cry-sis line in the past, when ds1 has been bad and they are great.

It is hard to ask for help but if you can get some support it's worth it. I was wondering about whether home-start might help, give you someone to talk to if DP less than great on the matter? ur old one had a family group once a week where I and a playworher would make coffee / talk out indioviual problems, get other support in place etc, so it's not always 'just' the volunteers

Good argument about the dummy, peachy.

If I can be bothered, I'll go and see HV at weigh and play today to see what help I can get...

Good news is that A is awake and not crying!!!!

aahh, spoke too soon. Thought it was too good to be true.

ooh yes homestart v good or even just someone to visit you to have a chat with

would be good to get out of the house

Morning all.

Sagitta, just wanted to say I think you (and everyone else in your situation) are amazing doing just about everything on your own! I agree with everyone else that you're due a break though, and just wondered - if no friends around that could help out, would it be at all possible to get a night nanny one night (even if just the once, just so you can sleep through one proper night?) Say, if you're expressing for a couple of days and freezing the milk until you've got enough for a whole night? Then, if this is a possibility, buy the best quality earplugs around and just sleep. Kind of rebooting the system? Or if you could get anyone you know to fulfill this role just for the one night?

The Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature dummies seem te be favourite in this house (although he ends up looking like a snail in a fishbowl, hehe).

R had his jabs yesterday and spent the night crying, and I realised that I'm such a brat sometimes to moan about silly things when some of you cope with this all the time. So for those that feel a bit down/tired, here's my best offering of virtual choc fudge cake with extra cream. For breakfast. And to anyone else - just because you feel like it. xxx S

Alex has a dummy, yes.

He rarely uses it but has discovered that his hands taste great so we have to leave his hands poking out of the top when we swaddle him now.

Definitely worth while if it gets you some sleep.

DP is pretty crapola when Alex cries, he says it tenses him up and he just wants to help him but can't, whereas I can easily tune it out, I do get him to help out as much as he can though, he changes him/dresses him etc when it needs doing and I need a break.

Have you got DH to bath him yet sagitta?
I find it a great way to get them involved and give you a break.

DP gets into the bath and then I hand him Alex, he sits him on his lap and splashes the water over him, Alex loves the water just half covering his body with it on the back of his head (I think there is a pic on my profile of them in the bath actually).
Could give you enough time to unwind.

With DD and DS1 I used to live near a church with a lake behind it and would just sit there and shed a few tears when I felt shattered, it was amazingly refreshing!

VS, just had a look at your latest pics - the ones of Alex smiling are just too adoreable!!

Sagitta, VS's suggestion of dad and baby sharing a bath might just be the perfect place to get DH involved. I was prob a little like your DH - I was terrified of doing something wrong, so those first couple of days DH was changing nappies, bathing him etc and I just looked and fed him. (Bad, I know, am now embarrassed.) Anyway, first time I bathed him was that way, him on my lap in the actual bath. It was brilliant, so relaxing and made me feel so close to him. So I felt more confident after that.

DH & Mimi often bath together, so much easier, lol.

DH will get in bath with DD2 if he's around too.

I think your right about men/women and babies crying, I wonder if it's like the fingernails down the blackboard to them.

DH on lates today so thought i'd utilise him whilst he was here (he does v little on lates - gets up so late normally just enough time to have bath, eat and go, then on return plays on pc till early hours and eats again) Went and had a shower, washed my hair and .......... dryed it

Denny - "and..... dryed it" & . I'm feeling particularly proud of myself if it's washed, can't remember when last dried it properly. Keep hoping someone might one day wake up and decide frizz is the new in thing. Man, would I be in fashion then!

It's the first time since DD2 was born, decided it's about time i stopped being 'slummy' mummy and made a bit more effort, that said i'm still in tracky bottoms

sagitta - you poor thing. You have my thoughts. DD1 was a screamer - with reflux - so she sounds just like your LO. I sobbed and sobbed in the first few days when DD2 looked like she was going down the same route - I thought I couldn't do it again. Touch wood Elena is much more settled now. My DH sounds identical to yours. He doesn't really get babies. He's bessotted with DD1 but can't handle it when Elena cries, to the point where he'll just put her down if she doesn't stop crying. So I can't really leave her with him Luckily for me she's the most chilled baby so its not hard to do everything for her myself.

I'm also the same about protecting DHs sleep. As soon as Elena wakes in the night I'm trying to chase him to the spare room so he's not disturbed! Half the time he sleep through it anyway! But I hate the though of him making mistakes at work from tiredness or something like that. (He's also extremely grumpy without sleep!)

meant to say that DD1 had a dummy but we took it away at 5 months because she was waking in the night looking for it. It was hard for 24 hours but she adapted really easily. I'd def recommend it if your DD2 will take it - Elena wouldn't!

Question for you all.

Finally got round to doing some expressing yesterday and got 5 oz however Elena thought I was trying to poison her with the bottle and refused outright! Joy.

Have used Avent and am planning to persevere but looking for suggestions on alternative bottles she may take to [sigh] this could become expensive!

Iv'e used tommee tippee bottles with no problems, the teats are v soft and supposed to be closer to breast/nipple shape (not sure whose boobs they modelled them in though)

DS refused avent bottles when he was a baby (took them at a few months old though), used NUK funny shaped teats with him.

No bottle/breast confusion with either of them btw

Elfsmummy - the Breastflow First Years bottle is the one that works best for us. It's quite similar to the breast and Roelof doesn't easily swollow air with it. Second choice for us is the Medela Special Needs Feeder because next to no wind, but if Elena doesn't like bottles as it is, this one might not work, as they have to work really hard for milk (doesn't free flow at all). I've also tried Mam Ultivent (not too bad), Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature (which he also likes, but as he's a bit greedy sometimes gives him more wind than the Breastflow one). Those are the ones I've tried, would be interesting to hear everyone's experiences.

Elfsmummy and Sagitta, I'm not sure that the two of you aren't in fact me. Especially on the lethargy around expressing! I forced myself to do it this morning (same issue with steriliser, though I have no excuse as it's the same one we had last time - did take until Evie was a month old for me to get round to descaling it, though). I must say I've since been slightly panicking that I emptied my boob (5.5oz!) and have therefore been shoving a nipple in her face whenever she cries. Have two asleep now, though - think the sofa is calling!

Scampmum - our families are pretty similar - we've got 2 DDs here 2 years and 3 days apart and my eldest is an Eve!

Thanks Sal will investigate the bottles. Just expressed again and am determined to do it most days when DD1 is asleep at lunch time!

Mmn, think we all might be the same person. 2 dds, the older one is called Evelyn...

Do I have to sterilise my brand new tommee tippee dummies? Or will boiling water do the trick?

Thanks for all your support today. I really appreciate it. Just went and cried all over the HV, which sort of helped too...

did hv help?

Sagitta - boiling water should do the trick.

I've got vertigo again - fortunately I can take medication for it this time - last time I was pregnant so couldn't. DH had to take yesterday and today off work to look after me and DD as I have been so bad. Better now that the medication is kicking in, so I guess he will be back to work tomorrow. I have really enjoyed having him home. I think I need someone with me all the time - I just get so lonely - really need to look into baby groups as soon as I am allowed to drive again (next week thank goodness!)

I have an appointment with a cranio guy on the 23rd for DD - hopefully help her to settle a bit - I think the traumatic birth may have affected her more than we think so hope the cranio chap will be able to help her.

How much should FF babies put on in weight weekly roughly? I am worried DD is not gaining enough. She only put on 5oz this week. I just got her weighed - didn't see the HV, so didn't get to ask. Anyone know?

As for bottles, DD is on Tommee Tippee closer to nature and is happy enough. Am thinking of getting her the matching dummy cos she seems to use her bottle as a dummy sometimes!

Sagitta - let it all out - a good cry can be very theraputic! My DD is not the best sleeper either, and there have been some days when I have really been miserable, but I guess fortunatley for me my DH is very hands on, and whilst I am not keen on the idea of him missing out on sleep either, there sre somedays where I just cannot cope and he has to take over. We have now made a deal - I do Sun - Thurs and he does Fri and Sat night. So I get 2 nights good sleep and it really helps. He comes in from work and takes DD to bath and change every night - it is his job while I get dinner on. Maybe your DH just doing that - the bath and pj's would help you a little and help him to relax a little around your DD? Whatever though, I just hope it comes right for you.

mum2br, we saw the osteopath 3 times with dd - worked wonders! she's way more relaxed now (was forceps delivery, so I guess her head hurt which made her cry)

please tell me someone that it's normal for breastfed babies to
a) have a greenish poo sometimes
and b) bring back loads of milk after feeding. she poos and wees normal amounts I guess, but sometimes she even brings back the milk immediately after the feed or even during feeding! quite unsettling...