June 2008 - The Olympics are here and Mums deserve gold medals

[ThePenguinProject]

Thought I'd start a new thread before we ran out of space! Couldn't remember the exact name suggestion so have paraphrased, the sentiment is still the same though...

fungle, sorry to hear your RL friends are not being supportive of you ff. I don't think anyone has any right to judge you (or anyone else) for their decision to give up bf. I'm also very disappointed it didn't work out for us, but as my MW/HV/GP said what your baby needs above all else is a healthy and happy mum who can give him what he needs. My DS certainly didn't have that while I was trying to bf .

Hope your LO doesn't keep you up all night!

Hi All, hope you had nice weekends! My DP has gone to New York until Thursday and this is the first time I have not had him home since the baby as born - it feels weird! I hope that the law of sod doesn't mean the baby won't sleep or anything like that - I can cope with the daytime but screaming through the night I definitely would not!

Re FF and amounts, Luke has 150ml in the bottle (not sure what in ounces) and mostly eats 120ml, sometimes drains the lot and in the night takes abut 100ml.

For some reason I am dog tired today. DP did the early morning feed when Luke woke up so I did the 11pm in return (we usually do the other way round). The early morning feed is a nighmare as it mea s you have to then get up with the baby as he won't go back to sleep afterthat. I'm fairly sure that when DP does me the 'favour' of doing any feeds for me I get less sleep as I wake up anyway and still do the swapped feed!

Thanks for the feedback re: buggy. Really useful. Think I may just use the baby bjorn if I go by tube - it'll be good for the weight loss too....we can then get a maclaren when R gets to 6 months.

Paro - I had exactly the same experience with a bus driver....a complete and utter jobsworth and we were only talking about one stop in London v v v slow traffic. I offered to jump out and walk and meet him and the next bus stop instead (which would have been quicker) and he said that would be fine but I would need to pay the fare again!! Luckily other passengers told him to stop being such an ar5e.

Fungle - Halfway there with the weight loss, but I put on ALOT!!! Seriously. There is a celeb whose baby shares Ryder's name and I put on the same amount as her. (I am so ashamed of how much I put on I'm making those of you that really want to know google it!). She lost it by doing 1hr cardio and 1hr yoga/pilates up to 3 times a day!!! Altho her body is better now than mine has ever been....Have my 8 week check this week and can't wait to get back to exercising. Not just for weight loss but because I miss it.

Fungle - Sorry to hear you're not getting RL support. This baby raising lark is bl00dy hard and there seems to be more things that new Mums are judged on than ever before: bf vs ff, natural labour vs intervention and pain relief, real nappies vs disposables, routine vs on demand, SAHM vs working, co sleep vs in your room vs another room, slings vs buggies, dispoable wipes vs homemade reusable ones.....the list is endless! We each have to make the decisions that are right for us and our little ones. Some of those decisions are hard enough without anyone else judging us. Rant over.

funglelike you have found mn a haven as struggled with bf and found it a taboo subject as everyone else seems to thrive on bf. Good that a few of us on here are ff. And lucky you having sleepy baby ,madam only just dropped off having had about three half hour naps since ten thirty this morning-here is hoping we have another good night (am phoningAlbers night nanny as soon as we get back

Oh and thank you all so much for your messages about the cat. Think it's going to take a while before I stop expecting to see her padding around the place. And even longer to stop finding cat hair everywhere (she shedded more hair than any other cat I ever known).

Gald you and DP made up Amber - good luck tonight, you'll be fine.

catching up after w/e away at my parents so apologies for missing people

pp so sorry about your cat. i know exactly when storm was conceived because it was the first time after more than a fortnight of no action because we had a dying pet and i was too upset to do it!

ah i'm too scared to take the bus so hence a bit stuck as live a couple of miles out of town. i really want to get into bristol centre with storm but just end up going round the local park etc instead.

fungle sorry your RL friends are non supportive re FF. I saw my aunt this w/e who was shocked i was still BF! she has no kids and is v pragmatic about all this stuff...
i think we should deffo have a meet up when the new shops are open - not sure where to suggest before then. John Lewis is difficult without a car so i think that would be a bit unfair on you, and bristol centre isn't brilliant at the mo.

we had our living room decorated this w/e and it's so lovely to have it properly sorted as it's been four months since we've had all our stuff out, waiting for it to be done.

re routines storm had a major freak out at my parents - one of the worst ever. think it was the combo of too much GP play and strange surroundings. we ended up just giving her calpol to get her to sleep as she was screaming so much last night. but the upside is that today she's been a perfect baby! weird. she fed at 1am, 6am, 10am, slept for 3 hours in her pram, had an EBM at 3pm, fed again at 6 and 8 and is now asleep! I think she's just relieved to be home.

deffo getting the first sleep of the day sorted is the key. took her for an hour long walk this morning to get her to settle and she then slept in her pram for another 2 hours, which is unheard of. i tried briefly settling her at my parents in our room, but i think it was too unfamiliar

paro when you take fleur swimming how long are you in the pool with her? I'd like to take storm, but she gets antsy after 10 mins in the bath with me. any tips?

Hi everyone, been lurking but no chance to post for a few days - DP has been working in London. Even though he's really busy when he's here, I know there's a few hours every night when he can look after B - and I've really missed that. He's back tomorrow, but then the sod is going off fishing with his chum for a few days - I agreed to it in a hormonal daze obviously. There was talk of me going with them if they got a nice place to stay sorted out, oddly enough they are going somewhere which is just not suitable for me and bambino.... Hmmmmmmm.

Well, we are going to see my mum and family next week, so he will be at my bidding then!

Laura, DramaQ, Katyjo - Buchanan Galleries meet up good for me - I don't have anything on that week yet, so what suits the rest of you?

Bus drivers - grrrrrr - my pet hate - especially as one drove his bus into me 4 years ago... I am the woman who got hit by a bus! Hate Glasgow bus drivers with a passion, they nearly all drive like idiots, and don't give a stuff about passengers. Have been on bus once with B - got on ok, but couldn't get off! Had to ask driver to drop the step - he grumbled! - and he hadn't pulled in to the stop properly. Luckily someone lifted the pushchair off for me. And I was given filthy looks by not so old dear who was sitting in the pram space and had to move. She glared at me the whole way! So, I shall be driving from now on.

Penguin - sorry about your cat. And I totally agree about people judging mums - especially other mums. Bit sad that some feel they need to score points. No one here I hasten to add!!! I fully admit that I have created an environmental disaster! I'm not using reusable nappies, have used wipes since day 1, and as above, am giving up on public transport! I agree we have to do what's best for us and our babies.

Little rant on the subject of competitive mumness - I now have my SIL reminding me how much harder she has it as she has two children.... Yeah, and she also lives near my mum who does loads of free childcare for her....

I have my 6 week check up tomorrow - obviously changes from place to place, as some of you have 8 week checks. And for the LOs too - have been told B won't be checked til 8 weeks. [puzzled and confused emoticon].

Well, B seems to be settled in bed... glass of wine for mummy I think... Hope everyone else is doing well, sorry for long post and not replying to everyone - I am thinking of you all and sending you all a hug - I love this thread!!! (And that's before I have the wine!).

Having a little chuckle to myself reading the posts about druging babies to sleep....Im always drugging my baby to sleep not on purpose obviously it just happens her hardest drugs are at 8pm.

PP I wouldnt worry too much about weight, I out on 4stone I have lost 3 though.

Olivia takes 140-150mls 5 times a day, she is suffering severe reflux though and im waiting for her prescription to go through see if it helps, she is being sick through her nose because of the tube and it makes her cry.

What an awful day Friday was, my dog was being sick everywhere, the kids were fighting all day.....and Friday is a tube change day.....for some stupid reason I left it till night time well Olivia screamed the whole time and I couldnt get it in, she has never screamed before when Ive been changing it and it broke my heart.

I ended up having the most bizar dream that night, listen to this.....my Mum moved house to a little Island that you could only get to when the tide was out as a magic road appeared...her sitting room was underground and all of a sudden the cushions starting flying up in the air and the ghost of a little girl like DD1 was standing in front of me

My DH is still away...he still hasnt got going with work and now the rig has been shut down as they have come in contact with radio active material WTF!

What a long waffle sorry.

Morning all. S was asleep from just after 11pm till 6am this morning . Am very pleased.

150mls is roughly 5oz Amberc ... I only know because S's bottles have it on! Hope you manage ok while DH away. I was really worried about my DH going away last week but it was fine.

Fungle how is the feeding going? Such a shame your RL friends not being too supportive. I always feel like I have to over explain why I'm not bf to people. I was trying to think of any tips for you in stretching the time before feed... When we first changed S's schedule from demand feeding he was taking nearly an hour to feed as he kept stopping. Whenever he lost interest, started falling asleep we would change his nappy, blow on his face, gently tug his ear, change his clothes (sometimes all of those!) and then try him again. It was definitely worth it because now I can plan my day around his routine without worrying about when he'll need to be fed.

josey sorry that the tube changing was such an awful experience for you this week. How long will DH be away for? Scary stuff re: radioactive material!

whinegums I'll check diaries with DH and post later re: a date for meetup. I'm definitely not able to do the Tuesday. I've got my six week check tomorrow and was told that S would get his '6 week check' at 8 weeks with his first set of jabs. However, I've got an appointment for him this week. I asked the HV last week if he would be getting his jabs with appt, she was nodding 'yes, that's next Thursday'. I then pointed out that he would only be 6 1/2 weeks and I didn't think he should have his jabs then. She hastily backtracked so now he'll just be having his normal check then his jabs in a couple of weeks. So this week I have my 6 week check Tuesday with doctor, physio Wed, and then S's 6 week check with same doctor. Why we couldn't both have our 6 week checks together I dont know!

Cant believe all the chat about weightloss. Keep trying to remember that a lot of your babies are way older than S though. Haven't done too much exercise and the weather has put paid to many long walks. I've also been really suffering with back pain so hopefully the physio will help me with that.

Still no outfit for wedding next week. Thought I might recycle old dress but it doesn't fit round my boobs! . The search continues.

MOrning all, I am also a happy Mummy DQ as Ethan slept through from 10.00 until 6.30 - unbelieveable! He normally is awake at2/3 and 5 so I couldn't believe it when I looked at the clock! I am realistic though, I don't expect the same tonight!

Morning everyone

Debs, way to go, Ethan! You must have been so chuffed! Is he really hungry now?

Also, DQ - it's obviously one of those days! Wow!

Josey, sorry that you are having a rough time with your DH away and things like tube-changing . What do you think your dream means?

Well, cutting out dairy seems to have calmed Dorothy down considerably. So that's it, then. I am taking a calcium supplement as BFing leeches calcium from your bones as it is. Otherwise osteoporosis here we come!

But since her growth spurt, her routine has fallen way off. We were splitting feeds so that she wasn't sick. Now she is snacking all day. Yesterday's feeds were 7.45, 8.15, 10.0, 11.15, 1.0, 3.30, 5.0. 6.30, 7.0, 10.30 - she is now taking her biggest feed at 1.0 - right on the middle of her old nap time. Does anyone have any tips for me? AAAAARRRRGGGGHHHH.

Greenfiary / Poppy, haven't quite got to the calpol point to ensure sleep (as she went down OK at 7.30) but have definitely been feeding her / pushing the pram to sleep during the day, etc. Can't believe it was so much easier with DS than DD.

Penguin, I love my Babybjorn, but we also have a MAclaren XT - which DS (aged 2.8) still uses. It's great on the tube.
Looking forward to seeing all you Londoners tomorrow.

Hello all- just thought I'd check in as it's been a while....forgive me if I don't read over a month's posts to get up to date: that would probably take a month!

PND seems to be under control with meds, and I finally got our 8 week checks and CJs jabs (at 12 weeks....) I also seem to have nearly cracked the nights too- Cecily went from 10.30 until 6.30 last night so that's a whole 8 hours sleep in one go for mamma too

I have been thinking of you all and hoping everything is OK...I've just really been struggling with the day-to-day stuff so getting online has been way down the list of priorities. Hopefully you'll hear more from me now. xxx

DS had such a bad sleep last night, unlike all of your babies it seems! He couldn't settle and was either screaming which is very out of character or chtting to himslef. I thought he probably had a stomach ache or sore throat so gave him some calpol this morning. He is asleep now and will hopefully stay that way for a few hours. DS has a casting today but I really don't know if I can be bothered to take him.

Fungle, when I gave up bf'ing with dd1 I got some negative comments but it was the right thing to do for me and dd1 as we were both much happier people.

makecakesnotwar lovely to hear from you and to hear that you are feeling better.

makecakes So glad you're feeling better

I thought it was amazing that Luke went 11.30 to 5.30 last night but that's rubbish compared to the 10.30-6.30 people! Also at 5.30 he wouldn't go back to sleep so I had to get up. He's also been really cranky this morning and driven me insane ('cos I'm so tired too). It's lonely wihtout DP so looking forward to meeting the London ladies tomorrow - god help me on two trains and exploring Wimbledon!

I haven't lost any weight at all and don't really understand why - not BF but surely some of it must drop off naturally?

goingfor3 sorry to hear about your night. Hopefully he will sleep this morning and let you have some rest

makecakes glad things are getting better, good to hear from you

I'm so about all the babies sleeping through. Last night A did 9pm-1.30am, 2-3, and then woke up hourly from then! This makes it so tempting to ff, as the ff babies seem to go so long without needing a feed.

Are there any of you still exclusively bf and if so, how are the nightime sleeps?!

He slept for an hour!!!

Going to go to london in a minute and hopefully he will sleep in his pushchair.

Allnew, ds is still exclusivley bf and doesn't sleep through but can go for 6 hours.

morning all

need to have a quick MIL rant, she had the cheek to tell me yesterday that i should think about getting back to the gym!!!and wobbled my baby belly, now bear in mind i am only 8 weeks postpartum, a size smaller than when I got pregnant and walking almost everywhere now

josey sorry to hear about the probs with olivias tube and at radioactive material

deb very [envy} of ethan sleeping through

fungle so sorry you have no RL support, I have the opposite prob with BF as none of my NCT friends or other friends with children BF past 6 weeks so I still get some looks when I BF rather than give a bottle when we are out.

Looking forward to meeting all you london ladies tomorrow although it may be brief as I have had a call from the GP changing Isaacs 8 weeks check from Thurs to tomorrow [nervous mummy emoticon] @ 13.40. Am now trying to get DH to get tomorrow off so he can be there when we get them done as well.

makecakes good to see you back and to hear you are coping well.

TGF very jealous of you getting your living room decorated, we did the house when we moved in 3 years ago but have since had a new kitchen and now need it to be repainted but I cannot bear the smell of paint at the moment.

Have hung nappies out to dry, hoping that it doesn't rain and am drinking fennel tea while Isaac naps on his changing mat on the floor, he fell asleep while I was changing him

Hi all

Quick one for me as SJ is surgically attached to me.

PP sorry about your cat, must be sooo hard

*fungle I can't believe your rl friends are not supportive of you FF. It is none of their business anyway

Can't remember who it was with the poonami but you made me laugh really hard.

Re routine, on Saturday I broke the routine because we were running late, SJ hadn't had his bath and fell asleep feeding, but he had pooed in his (clean for five minute nappy) so at 8.00pm I decided to change him thinking he wouldn't wake up and all hell broke loose until 00.20. I just couldn't settle him and I tried everything.

I also think he is teething. He is quite miserable and can't stay asleep and even when carried he still whimpers. His gums definitely look swollen but I think he has a while to go before the first tooth comes out. So we bought some teething gel and I am carrying him in a sling most of the time (great!!)

Fungle and GF considering none of us drive, we'll have to meet somewhere easy for all of us. I don't mind taking the bus, I'll take SJ in a sling. When I am in Bristol I will try to take some driving lessons again but I am sh---ing myself as the streets are soooo narrow and I have a problem with distances. I am sure we'll manage to find some sort of baby friendly coffee shop or something.

debs can't believe you are coming back to the UK. Which part will you come back to exactly? Have you been in Austria long?

makescake so gad you are feeling better, I was thinking about you the other day and had notice you hadn't posted for a while.

josey your Friday sounded like a nightmare! I hope you had an easier time since...but I guess Olivia screaming is quite a good sign isn't it? She seems to be doing so well

Hi all, had a mad weekend with 3 friends staying: one with a 22 month old boy, one with a 10 month old daughter and another on the way, and one teacher, v. good with toddlers!! Iestyn was strange and unsettled, though, and last night the breathing sensor went off. He hadn't moved off it, so, er, he must have stopped breathing for a v. short time. Gulp.

Ampster Iestyn isn't pooing every day now, but has smelly farts. HV said it was ok. Alas, there's no pattern, though - sometimes 2 days in a row, then nothing for a week etc.

Penguin, no, my pram is a Chicco Trio for Me. Very good indeed, and ok on the tube too. My main problem was escalators - the swivel wheel locker or whatever would lock on the escalator step. Nothing major though! Mind you, it's a travel system, and I think at this stage it would be better value for you to wait until he's able to sit up in a pushchair and buy a cheaper one.
Also, before you ebay, try nappyvalley.co.uk - it's second hand and in s. London. And TK Maxx sometimes have pushchairs.

Our family cat has probably (hopefully, so that she's not suffering) died now, but it's a slightly traumatic time for us all so I'll explain next time. Or not at all because it's too sad.

goingfor3 that's great you get 6 hours when bf. How long does your ds feed for in one session? A only does 20 mins max - so basically he likes to feed little and often for now! He's been taking 10 min snacks all morning today!

hedgehog can't believe your MIL was so rude! Did you say anything back? I'm generally so gobsmacked when mine makes rude comments that I can't think of anything to say

essie glad Iestyn was ok after the sensor panic!

Allnew - I too am jealous of those getting 10.30 - 6. What bliss! Caspar is exclusively bf and at 11 weeks (and about 11.5 - 12lb) is feeding at around 11.30pm then 4.30am. Weirdly, he went through a phase a couple of weeks ago of sleeping till 5.30 and the night of his jabs went till 6.30, but has slid backwards! I find that it has naturally fallen into a pattern of 3 hourly feeds during day and then 4-5 hourly feeds at night. Suppose I should be grateful that it isn't the other way round. Length wise, he tends to go 20-25 mins on one side, then 5-10 mins on the other; with the occasional longer feed.

Josey - really sympathise about the tubes thing. DS1 had pyloric stenosis when he was five weeks old and was on a drip for five days while in hospital. I pulled his tube out by accident once and remember him howling when it was reinserted. Lots of love to Olivia.

I like the Baby Bjorn, but prefer to use pram if going to a cafe etc, so I can have a drink without baby being glued to me. Talking of being out and about, I have just received (as a gift) the most fantastic breastfeeding cushion for feeding on the move. I fed in the park this weekend on a bench, and it meant I could sit back rather than lean hunched over for half an hour. Would really recommend, as I am now feeling much happier about being out for long periods rather than wanting to rush home. www.thrupennybits.co.uk.

allnew she could do with loosing a bit too, so i asked her if she was going to pay for US to join a gym and for the creche for isaac, she then had to go and check on the cat, which had bought her a dead bird

allnew - I'm exclusively breastfeeding and our nights are usually fine, he slept last night from about 10.30 until after 6 (DH's alarm clock goes off at 6 anyway), sometimes he does want a feed about 3am and can be quite hard to settle, but usually can go until at least 5.30. We don't really have any daytime routine, we both go back to sleep once DH goes to work and he normally has quite a long nap at lunch time. Otherwise feeds are not at set times and can be for any amount of time at the moment, hoping they will become a bit more predictable, and he naps at other times as well. I find if he is awake and feeding all evening we have a better night, sometimes he sleeps all evening and then we are up all night!

J seems to be on a pooing mission at the moment, doing loads of poonamis! All of the wraps are drying as they have been pooed on so he is in a disposable right now, he had to have 2 baths this morning as he got covered in it, hope he starts going once a week, even once a day would be great!

Essie and PP sorry about your cats, it's awful when pets die.

My thrush seems to have come back, nipples are sore again and this time I have an achy pain in my breasts, seem to spend all my time at the doctors at the moment.

What do you all use to freeze breast milk? I had a pack of bags which I got together with my breast pump (for 99p!) but going to run out soon and am shocked at the price of them, was thinking about something reusable?

I can fit back into one of my pairs of jeans but have quite a bit more to lose before I am back to normal, waiting until I have my 8 week check before I do anything about it (will fill up on chocolate digestives in the mean time!).

Will stop rambling now, hope you are all well.