June 08 babies - I know there's a few of us about!

[isaidno]

Thought I'd start a thread inbetween breastfeeding, laundry and bossing DH about tyo do stuff!

Let's make a list of members!

ISAIDNO - baby girl; Poppy Elizabeth; born 18 / 6/ 08; 6lb 4oz

Ooh, I have some fabulous grooming tips for the slummy mummy. DD1 and I discovered them today but intend to incorporate them into our routine:

We raced out this morning, very proud of ourselves for getting dressed and making it to the GP almost on time for my 9.30 post-natal appointment - only to find out that the appointment was for 9.20, my shirt was inside-out and DD1 was wearing DD2's clothes. I wittered at the GP whilst DD1 behaved horribly, agreed with the GP that we would discuss my pelvic floor/abdominal muscles/varicose veins/contraception another time but as I am neither depressed nor septic there was no urgency.

Rushing out later on that day I realised that my shirt was covered in dried baby sick but becuase it was still inside-out I was able to just turn it the right way out and -voila - daisy-fresh and ready to go out again.

Similarly with DD1 - she's put on her shirt back to front (her own shirt this time) and got jiuce all down the front. All we had to do was turn it the right way round and she was as smart as could be.

Neenz we were in Formby today but I decided that you in your size 10 jeans might be alarmed by our sweaty, crusty, stained appearances, so didn't get in touch

Sorry to hear you're leaving us dylansmum will miss you.

Poppy Glad you saw a specialist and getting good treatment, I saw on another thread they suggested getting dh to help remove blockage!? Hope your feeling better.

sponge I would ignore them, its not like he's put on 2lb, he's thriving if his stools are hard etc he may be thirsty, but otherwise I would carry on as normal.

Josey Glad to hear Olivia is doing well.
You don't make me feel guilty but when I'm having a bad moment it helps me put things in perspective.

Essie I still go mental over small setbacks, everytime I have a bad feed I feel like curling up in a ball, thinking I can't feed/Mia's not feeding properly. I think talking to other mum's help.

Sponge I'm not an expert, doctor or midwife but what you've been told about weight gain for some strange reason has made me very . Like I say, not expert, but surely there is no way you can overfeed Alex and newborn babies are supposed to be chubby not skinny (skinny = something very wrong, surely?) and the thought of denying food to a tiny baby sounds totally cruel.
Not sure why I've got so annoyed at your HV but it really got to me! Feel free to ignore...

Penguin hahaha, if your breastpads were already used when you took your eyeliner off then you get the Super Slum award! Although Rolf is a serious contender with her super laundry advice!

LOL Rolf - They're the kind of tips on Motherhood that I need!

Morning all, just checking in to keep up to date with messages. Far too sleep deprived to string a sentence together myself though...

morning all

lol here at the slummy mummy tips - but whats this 'make up' thing you are talking about?

went to the local bf cafe yesterday and was lovely to meet some other bf-ers as 4 of the 6 people i know with lo's are either mix feeding or ff, and look with amazement as i get my boobs out all over the place.

the thrush appears to have gone and i haven't cried while feeding for three feeds from that boob!!

we are going on our first bus ride today up to my work so they can meet him, and then i am off to bluewater on sunday to meet some of my old uni friends!

sponge you know your baby better than the hv/mw who see him for 10 mins once a week. be strong and stick to what works for you

TPP - baby lotion and disposable breast pads! I love it!

Paro - so sorry to hear about your hand, what bad timing! I hope you're managing okay and what a relief that your DP is a teacher and you timed the birth so well for him being off

I'm trying to think of a slummy mummy moment I'd actually admit to (some are just too slummy to say). I did go out in public in a new tank top (from sainsbury's) that buttons at the chest - very easy for feeding I thought. Only problem was that the buttons wouldn't stay done up over my chest and I was walking around a garden centre for ages with my oh so not-sexy bra hanging out. At least it was a black one...

Very quick post as this is the first day with both DS and Dorothy on my own, Eeek!

Rolf, am still giggling. Love the 'daisy fresh'

Paro, sorry about your hand

Essie, fab, fab, brillo

Penguin, snigger, snigger. I wonder if used breastpads would remove make-up well

Oh god, DS has just brought me a squashed millipede

Loving the slummy mummy stories, the things we reduce ourselves too I have to say im just far to yummy to share slummy stories lol of course Im slummy I think my worst has been using babywipes to clean up sick on my pillow then just turn it over

Sponge...Ignore your HV that isnt even a pound he has gained, my DS used to gain 1-2lns a week and I had to put him on hungry baby formula by 8weeks old, he is like a string bean now...they have been scared into babies gaining too much weight may lead to fat kids blah blah there is nothing you can do if he is hungry but feed him. Bet she would feed her own child

Essie fab news on the job well done you being able to do anything so grown up like an interview with a new born...I still cant work out how to put the milk back in the fridge on a normal day, I have found it in the cooker!

Paro hope you had gets better soon what a nightmare.

Olivia had another crying session last night she does have the sweetest cry I have ever heard. My DCs also laugh with happiness when she cries.

I was really worried she was fitting last night but I think she was fighting her way out her bag cause of the heat. It takes her longer to regulate her temp so this weather is affecting her poor soul. I was sure that she was ok as she calmed when I lifted her, anyway in the cold light of day im doubting myself and I dont know why.

Ok really must go for a shower and tidy my house ahhh!!

Hi guys, loving all the slummy mummy stories - can't better Rolf's turning her top the right way out and still wearing it though! I'm sure I smell permanently of baby sick, but hope it's just me that can smell it!

Thank you so much for all your reassurance on feeding. I've spent the last 24 hrs in tears and am now getting really stressed every time he cries for a feed and watching exactly what he eats which is awful. I have a real problem around food and eating and have suffered from eating disorders on and off for the last 20 years which is why it's such an issue for me (and why I was relieved I didn't have a daughter cos I didn't want to pass on my neurosis to her ), but now I'm doing the same thing to my 6wk old boy and it makes me weep.

Have phoned the HV to talk it through as could see me getting unhealthily obsessed about this.

Sponge, deep breaths now!
I really don't think you have a problem with feeding Alex. Carry on as you're doing, and I'm sure you won't pass on any 'neurosis' onto Alex, or any daughter you have in the future. (In fact, you're an excellent mother in that you're aware that you might have a problem and you're making sure that you don't pass it on. Seems very healthy to me.)

I'm pretty sure that if any formula milk, or overfeeding on it, could possibly lead to obesity in later life (or anything of the sort), they would have mega lawsuits. It's like saying offering the breast to Iestyn too often will lead to him getting fat. (And he is too !) Because let's face it, although the breastmilk brigade will say that formula is unhealthy/fattening etc etc, in actual fact they work hard on the recipe to get it as close as possible to breastmilk. (I know it's oversimplification - I'm not a scientist!) Breastmilk - looking at my own in a bottle - is super-fattening, it's mainly fat and water! And a baby as young as Alex is not capable of concepts such as greed or overeating, or comfort eating. All he knows is hungry + eating. And what you need to do is listen to him: if he's hungry, you feed him.
Would it help if you thought in terms of breastfeeding? Because what you're doing is breastfeeding, except you happen to be using a different kind of 'breast', which happens to be see-through, so you get to see how much Alex takes. I'm using the 'hidden' method - so I have no idea how much Iestyn takes. I really don't think you should be watching or worrying, but just giving the amount you're supposed to when he's hungry.

Another thought - isn't it quite hard to overfeed a baby? Iestyn will happily feed more than his own bodyweight, but sicks up any excess (quite comfortably!). His stomach only holds so much and it's not stretchy like mine would be (alas). (Again, not scientific.)

Sorry, random rambling and maybe should have done that as a private message. And hark at me, all psychology babble! That was probably totally unhelpful. Sorry, Sponge, I'll mind my own business!

On the slummy mummy front... you might all recall my fixation with ironing everything, well, I'm very happy to share that I haven't ironed a single item of clothing since coming out of hospital and the world didn't fall apart!!!

Still feeling sleep deprived though... The LO took about 2 hours to have his midnight feed, which of course meant that he (and we) slept right through his 3.30am ish feed. He didn't wake up till 5.30 and now has been out of kilter all morning. Also, because he's so cranky and crying a lot with colic, we're picking him up a lot to help him wind/settle and he's falling asleep on us a lot. Very bad habit to get into, but what you supposed to do when they are obviously in discomfort?

I'm with you all on the baby clothes! I'm also sticking to romper suits in this weather. Quisk Q though - do you use a vest underneath when outside?

essie - glad to hear Iestyn is getting a bit more into a routine

sponge the advice others have given on here sounds good. It's so hard when the experts' advice is conflicting, but sounds like you have a v healthy baby

I'm glad you all sounds equally slummy as me. Wearing the same clothes round the house all the time and I only have one set of clothes to wear outside (i.e. the only set that fits!)

dq A is also taking ages over his feeds at the minute. He'll latch on well, but will then break off and shake his head around with his mouth open, leaving me really confused and frustrated. I'll then have to move him to the other boob and it repeats. This continues for 1-2 hours until he tires himself out. Last night was a nightmare and he wouldn't go back to sleep. During the day he won't settle unless either feeding or sleeping on my lap (and like you I feel I have to lift him when he cries). I can't bear that he's feeling miserable and so I couldn't leave him lying crying (although right now I've managed to get him sleeping in his basket for the first time today )

Allnew a quick one - Iestyn also does the strange head shaking - sort of shakes his head with his mouth open, sometimes around the nipple but without closing his mouth! Sometimes he starts to squeal and cry as well, as if I'm denying him the breast or something! It is frustrating but I have no idea why he does it. (Luckily he doesn't do it for too long - must be awful for you. )
Sometimes I hand him over to DH if poss, who tries to settle him down a bit. Sometimes I give him his dummy. Sorry, not helpful really.

At least you turned the pillow over Josey. DS was sick during feeding at 4am and I thought I'll clear that up when the feed is over. We both fell asleep during the feed so I woke up at 7am with baby sick in my hair today.... LOL at milk in cooker though. So happy to hear that Olivia is crying again, really great news!

Sponge - Have you seen the advert in which the chap says 'I promise not to tell you my Mum thinks you're holding the baby wrong' & 'When I kiss your neck it smells of perfume and baby sick'. My DH turned to me and said, "Your neck smells of baby sick sometimes". He thought it was a sweet thing to say.

Are you able to talk to another HV or MW about feeding? If it really is an problem, another "expert" will concur and you can get proper advise and reassurance from them as to how to proceed. I find that I've got so much conflicting advise from HV, GP & MWs and have had to make my own mind up. As such, I don't rely on any one person anymore. (On co-sleeping, MW said do it, HV said don't. On putting DS in sun to clear up jaundice, GP said do, MW said don't because he'll just burn. On nappy rash, MW said use sudocream, HV said sudocream too strong!!! Aarrgghh). I think it really is a case of "Mummy knows best".

Re: the eating thing and passing it on to a daughter. You've summed up exactly how I feel. I was relieved that DS was a boy for exactly the same reasons....

DQ - I've been told that at this age, there are no bad habits, just day to day coping! If your LO is still falling asleep on you at 2 years, worry about it then. To badly paraphrase a post on another thread, he's been inside you for 40 weeks and outside of you for 3/4, he needs comforting.

Phew - I've think I've been really bossy, but am too tired to re-type, sorry. Hope I haven't offended any of you, if I have just ignore it. Just the ramblings of someone who sleeps in baby sick....

Allnew - DS does the shaking head thing too. TMI alert: He seems to do this when my nipple has gone soft and is too wet, so sometimes I have to nipple fiddle to get it 'erect' again and dry it off. He seems to find it easier to re latch then.

penguin and essie it's reassuring to know your babies are doing this as well and it's not just Alexander (although sympathies to you obviously!). We also find that sometimes if DH just takes him from me, he will calm. Can't help this making me feel a bit useless though - eg. A did this last night in front of visitors and they all commented on how good DH is with the baby (and me being hormonal and tired of course took this personally!)

penguin A also does this when the nipple is soft and wet, so I'll try your tip.

I like the comment re. the babies needing comforting at such a young age. Personally I agree and I'd rather A went to sleep peacefully in our bed than cried the house down miserable in his basket. Also it is better for my sanity . My sister gave me a lecture though but I guess as a new mother I'll get used to being given advice!

On the positive front just been out for a good walk with A and he was perfectly behaved the whole time and is still asleep - so I'm going to have a nap!

penguin that's amazing the conflicting advice you get! It's hard to know who's right. I read on a leaflet from the HV that when bf you're supposed to take vit supplements to get enough vit D, but the MW had never heard of this

Before I go for my nap - quick question, have any of you found any baby groups to go to? All the ones in my area seem to be term-time only, which is a shame, as I don't have any family nearby and would have liked the company. I did find a baby massage class but think I'll give A another few weeks before I try him at this

Hiya - was wondering whether shaking head thing was just Fleur but obviously not!!! I find swtiching boob for 5 secs works and then back to other one or winding half way through

ALso have found another way of calming fleur in pm!!! Baby einstein!!! she is infront of tv now gurgling away!!! dont know what she can see but after having exhausted my repetoire of songs, being silly with toys tummy and back time and rocking chair time!!! Mummy now needs a cup of tea!! Oh and you dont have to buy it!! SHe is watching it on You tube!!!

Oh and regarding slummy mummy think i have a good one, out at friends this am and popped out boob to feed Fleur only to see it had yellow poo on it!!! Yeeeeahhh thanks Fleur and her explosive poo, dont know if anyone noticed i wet the muslin and quickly gave a rub still havent washed it!!! thats the boob or the muslin!!

oooh must go baby einstein is finishing!!!!

Allnew - does your NCT have coffee mornings over the summer holidays? Ours does (it does bumps & babes and toddlers). They are also planning some summer activities, days out etc. Can't remember where you live but NCT can be a really good way of meeting people and having some company. And their newsletter might have information about groups etc too.

Afternoon all. Allnew thanks for CAT message - will send you invite to blog when I next catch up on it. I do put a vest on DS underneath romper suit when outside at the moment but no blanket or sheet. Your HV might also be able to tell you about baby groups? I'm lucky in that there are loads in Edinburgh, but I haven't been to any yet. DH has a month off so not going too stir crazy yet. My HV asked has put us down for baby massage in September.

PP love your take on bad habits - thank you!

To all with shaking head babies - DS does this too, and he feeds from bottle. Must be a wierd baby thing.

Paro LOL at your slummy mummy story! Has anyone read slummy mummy btw? I've been reading it while expressing this week.

Question for you guys that are weeks ahead of me... Am wary of trying to overstimulate DS but also worried about him being bored... Have tried putting him on his tummy on his mat but he doesn't seem to like it. He goes in his vibrating chair (and usually falls asleep). We both chat to him a lot - should I be trying to entertain him more or is that enough for someone just under 3 weeks old?

allnew would second what rolf said, our nct runs bb&t during the summer hols, also check out your local bf cafe, as mine runs throughout the summer as 'bf doesn't take a holiday'

penguin, essie and paro isaac does the shaking thing too.

dq your baby is very young, unless you are actively trying to avoid it, let him sleep where he wants. i love nothing better than having my lo asleep on me, as does dh and we do fight about where he is going to sleep!!

after my boost this am that the thrush had gone, i now have the same thing in the other boob, and am regretting not quizzing the gp as to why she wasn't pescribing anything for him. i think i will either have to go to the walk in centre at the hospital or call the out of hours gp. any suggestions one way or the other?

Paro - you may have stolen Penguin's award now...

DQ I used to feel really bad about basically ignoring Iestyn in the early days particularly when he was awake. The thing was, I was dead tired, tried to sleep when he slept, and then if he was crying I was trying to stop him. So if he was awake and in his basket or whatever, frankly it was one less thing to worry about. Except I then worried that I didn't care enough or that I was a bad mother for not stimulating him... Now I stimulate but 2 main points:

1. He now smiles and reacts. Previously it was...boring!
2. A friend pointed out that to a 3 week old baby a picture frame is stimulating. Hell, just opening his eyes is stimulating!

Iestyn also had (and still has) a tendency to overtire himself. Seriously!

Got to go now to PC world to buy a printer!

Oh, before I go - just put Iestyn in his all new washable nappies. Er, they're huge! Mega bulk between his legs!

Anyone else found this?

very sociable day here. Friend who gave peter the combats came round this morning. He wore the tshirt with dungarees that fit him. She announced that she is 8 weeks pg, so she will soon learn about the marvels of baby grows firsthand. Peter has taken the clothing dilemma into his own hands by weeing liberally on his clothes every time I take his nappy off. By the time I got home this pm we were both so fed up of peeling vests over his head that he is now sporting a nappy and has merrily gone to sleep on my lap. He looks so cute with his mouth wide open catching flies!

This afternoon met up with nct group for a walk. It seems that peter likes social contact he is much more settled when its not just the two of us.

Peter has reached a new developmental milestone today which is a bit disturbing and not in the books: in the same way they discover their mouths he has discovered his penis and has grabbed it in an eye watering fashion a couple of times. It didn't seem to bother him though so maybe its not very sensitive at this stage?!

Pp: would be great to meet up in London but no plans yet for the big trip. Will llet you know when I am coming in.