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...

Hi all, sorry so many people are feeling down in the dumps, hope you all have a better day today! We're still muddling along with no real routine, but Charlotte is fairly regualarly going to sleep for good at 2330 and sleeping through til 0700, so I'm reluctant to put too much time and effort into getting her to sleep earlier and sacrificing my nice long sleep! The only thing that's woken us over night for the last two nights has been the neighbours cats fighting!

I officially have baby brain. I went to visit my Mum for a day trip yesterday, (about a two hour drive away) had a lovely day, went shopping - I carried C in the baby bjorn, so mum put my purse in her bag so I didn't need to bring mine with me. She phoned this morning to let me know that my purse is stil safely in her handbag. bugger. have no cash in the house and supposed to be going out for coffee later. I'm not seeing my Mum again until a week on Monday either, may have to convince DH that we need to drive down tonight!

5gomad DH told me he emailed you about our arrival on Friday - sorry it's so late

I'm looking forward to our Glasgow meetup, as we Scottish ladies (bar Katyjo) all delivered at the beginning of July, so we can compare notes on development stuff, we're a bit behind you early June babies!

needahand looney and libralady have all gone quiet I think, are you lurking ladies?

Laura don't worry about the late arrival.

Meeting up with Libralady this afternoon to go swimming again.

Hi everyone

Sorry to hear some of us our feeling a bit down in the dumps, I include myself as Mia only put on a crappy 2oz this week so mummy is a bit depressed I had been giving her expressed milk in bottles but I have gone back to feeding her from me direct and I'm going to top up with formula a bit.

BDQ I put moses basket in cot and started putting her down in the cot for her most sleepy day time naps, didn't have any trouble. Good luck

Rolf I think my boobs are just an extension of my muffin top!!

Laura I do that kind of thing all the time, if I have any cash I'll buy you a coffee later.

glasgow gals Looking forward to our meet up but know I'll get really anxious when all babies are bigger than my little Mia and she was born on 24th May! Please be kind to me, I'm becoming a bit obsessed by her lack of weight gain.

Afternoon everyone, S is having another fractious day despite good start so had to give up on the housework for now. He's strapped to me in his sling, and thanks to my dodgy back the best place for me to be is in the most upright chair in the house - in front of the computer! So I thought I'd check in here and then finish the photo album of his first month that I've created on photobox for him.

Glasgow gals - I'm also looking forward to the meetup/ katyjo try not to worry too much about Mia's weight. I'm no expert, but I increasingly get the impression that these growth charts etc serve no purpose but to make mothers paranoid. I'd best warn you that S is a bit of a bruiser - not quite 8 weeks and already 11lb 15oz. He was big when he was born though. I dont think he's too chunky now, I reckon that just like his mummy he has heavy bones

Have a good afternoon 5gomad and libralady. It's nice so many people are meeting up. Shame we cant all come and visit you Ernest.

Thanks all for chat about cots etc - hopefully it will go ok.

On the subject of baby tat beautifully, expensive, baby essentials scattered everywhere, do people generally have their changing stuff in their living rooms or LO's room? We've got one of the cheapy Ikea changing tables in our living room that is well stocked with nappies, muslins, bibs, wipes etc and I'm trying to decide whether to move it upstairs to S's nursery. Wonder if I can be arsed going upstairs every time he needs changed though? What are you all doing?

rolf... can sympathise with the achievement thing as feel that way and I am going back -career kind of drifted lately but actually feel incentivised to do somethign different when i get back as no point in working and being miserable.

amberthink nursery plan is very sensible - luke will love teh socialising adn really helps later - know friends who left it later and it does make it tons harder when they do go to school etc -edie already has her nursery place sorted at school..

BDQ cant remember if said this already but put dirty old clothes of me/dh in cot which she really loves (takes all sorts..the dh teeshirt she is currently cuddling stinks)...

laurat that is where I've been working from too - edie sleeps through from 9.30/10 til about 7 and then again from 8.30/10 so working up from that having seen what she likes to do. Maybe I am being too kind but wanted to see what she liked rather than what suited me.

quiet day today so am working on daytime naps - she is curretnly in her cot rather than mine and I tell you that counts as more of a triumph than most things I've done at work!!

bdq, we've always had the changing table in Alex's room but that's because we have one of those tables across his cot so didn't really have any other option. So yes, we always go upstairs to change him.

bdq, we are lucky to have a large laundry room downstairs, so I have a changing mat on top of the washing machine, next to a giant sink which doubles as her bath, and I keep all her clothes down there too (lots of cupboards) so the nappy & clothes washing & putting away is a doddle.

I also have a changing mat in the bathroom upstairs, but rarely use.

I've never had changing stuff in baby's room. Don't like the idea, like being next to sink, so always had it in bathroom, handy for bathtime too.

yes, come over & visit please. I was hoping to come to London this week but sil went away so I couldn't

ps put up a recent pic of my 3 boys & one of Adele.

Katyo, but 2 oz is still a gain isn't it? i mean it is mch better than a weight loss and shows she is getting enough milk she is just a slow gainer and really, what can you do about that? This is what i have been telling myself ever since I got Jamie weighed on wednesday anyway . And actually, I think it is working. The crying at the breast makes me more sad than the poor weight gain, and when I commented upon his weight to the hv she asked why I was getting him weighed. If they are pooing weeing smiling and alert, we shouldn't be weighing them more than once a month apparently, and any weight gain is good. After 16 weeks the next time they should be weighed according to guidelines is 8 months.

I think I am going to take this to heart. Weighing Jamie is just making me worry about his feeding even more, and to be honest, I am already more anxious about it than is good for either of us. The growth charts are crap anyway, no wonder we are a nation of obese children when we push food onto our kids as infants to make them meet some arbitrary chart. I am going to try and not weigh Jamie but be guided by him. I have tried to relax and not encourage him to feed so much and he is showing improvement by having a few feeds awake and not screaming. Its a break-through and i think maybe he just doesn't want to feed as often or as much as the chart thinks he should.

Tell me this is not a stupid idea!

sybil - I think that's a brilliant attitude and agree that it's easy to get too hung up on weighing them all the time. As you say, if they are doing all those basic things then makes sense to be led by them. I am basically feeding Caspar on demand (apart from waking him for feed last thing for a feed), and is working well. He isn't big for his age (long, but only about 25th centile for weight), but he is happy so I'm not stressing about it!

BDQ - we have the same cheap IKEA changing table in his bedroom and then I have a changing mat downstairs which I use on table in kitchen. With my first I alwatys went upstairs but with two it's easier to have a downstairs option too.

Ernest - totally get your feeling fed up sometimes. It is so much easier going to work! By the way, I meant to ask what you thought of Legoland? (It was you that went recently, wasn't it?)

Thanks mamawizz, I haven't been on mumsnet for a few days as I was upset and stressed by the whole thing too much, but I feel like I am getting some perspective on it now. Its good to know that this approach is working for you, hopefully it will for us too.

I just know that I will really regret the fact that so much of Jamie's first weeks were full of the stress of this when I should have been enjoying simply having him. So that is my new goal. As long as he is growing, however slowly, the weight is going to be a low priority compared to our being happy. And he is such a gorgeous little man!

Weight - I hardly bother weighing Luke - am I meant to? Or is it a case of ignorance is bliss (yes by the sound of it sybil)

Have you all discovered Babyfirst channel? Am watching the goodnight bit and it's lovely music and hallucinagenic (SP) images. Is sending me off to bye byes!! Luke is fascinated by it and stops crying if I stand in front of the TV with him so he can watch. So much for me and my 'I don't know how women can plonk their kids on front of the TV all the time' attitude! Will do ANTHING it takes!!

Ernest your kids are cutie pies! Adele looks like the one on the left.

5gomad where is your hotel? Have you got a website?

Babyfirst channel update - it's mental! Surely meant for people on drugs to have trips to!

Cosmic!!

yes babytv very trippy... but have found edie fascinated by all sorts of random thigs -esp those stat charts they use when they show cricket..

re weighing I'm with you amber - edie only been weighed 3 times since birth - she is feeding ok seems to be growing so I'm not going out of my way to have her measured if I wasnt going to doctors/hv anyway. Also agree with whoever posted that charts are a bit random... I know that there is such a thing as not thriving (ie if fail to eat anything much) but reast of it like development milestones seems a bit pointless as we're not all uniform.

been reading sleep thread.. now worried am doing wrong thing re letting edie sleep on me and having late naps but then i think a lot of those threads are for much older babies (ie its a different story after 6 months)..

amber its meant to be for luke not you!!!

No way - this is created for adults - all I need now is a big fat 'herbal' cigarette to fully enjoy it (joking - please don't call social services!!)

Where do I find this baby channel - what channel number on sky? Sounds wacky.

If the promised Indian summer doesn't transpire, shall we all go visit Ernest? And shall we stop off at Debs on the way?

Been to Borough Market today and have come back with sooo many goodies. So much for the health kick, these things may be additive and preservative free, but I'm pretty sure home made fudge isn't sugar free! It's really good though.

Off to visit the family tomorrow - please wish me luck. Tolerance will be required in bucketloads when dealing with certain members. Also will be visiting my Mum who has extremely advanced Alzheimers - it all seems sadder and more poignant now that I'm a Mum too. Even if she and Ryder will have no comprehension of each other, it's strangely important for me that they meet. Not sure why.

Wow - this really was an egocentric post - Sorry!

channel 624

Changing mat on kitchen table... that's an idea mamawizz I just really want my living space back, but cant change S on the floor downstairs because my back's buggered. sponge do you find it a pain in the ass traipsing upstairs or are you just used to it now?

Looking forward to hearing what channel this baby thing is on too!

sybil that's a great attitude re: weight, I also think there is no need for regular weigh ins. I only got S weighed this week because at parent/baby group everyone was weighing their babies and I thought I'd better join in!

of borough market PP - Edinburgh's farmers market just isn't in the same league. Good luck tomorrow, am sorry about your mum - it must be tough.

sybil, great attitude - I had the opposite problem of being made to feel I was over-feeding Alex, I now rarely go to HV clinic and feel much better!

PP, so sorry to hear about your mum but understand the significance of them meeting.

BDQ - don't find it a pain at all but then it never occurred to me to have the changing table downstairs ! Anyway, it's all a bit of extra exercise isn't it!!??

Amber, gutted I don't get Sky now - may even be worth the subscription!

Evening all.

Thanks to Laura for missing me. Sorry have had a hectic few days.

Monday we spent a lovely day at a good friends Lake for the day and did some fishing and had a BBQ.

Tuesday Luke had his jabs and I had my check up. Am now on prescribed medication as it appears that my sciatic nerve is still being tweaked by something despite my operation last year. I have had some back ache (not near the operation site) but my leg has really been giving me jip, especially at night. Tuesday afternoon we met up with 5gomad and went to her parent's place and had a swim in their pool. Fantastic!

Wednesday I drove to Wales to visit relatives and left at 7am and didn't get home until 11.30pm .

As a result Thursday was spent leisurely at home doing the housework, washing, ironing etc!!!!

Met up with 5gomad again today and spent another afternoon in the pool. Sam and Edie are becoming firm friends and the the babies just slept in their car seats nearby.

Hoping to meet up again next week to do more swimming and a local farm park (incidently where sophie and I met.

Tomorrow DH and I are taking the boys to Chessington. We are meeting up with my brother and his wife (they live in London and we only get to see them a few times a year) so we are hoping for some good weather.

Sunday is the final cricket match of the season and as we are away at least I don't have to make the match teas!!!! But I am preparing a picnic as the ground overlooks Corfe Castle (you know the one that Cromwell knocked about a bit in the wonderful Purbeck Hills. Mind you the wather is looking a bit dodgy so it may be called off.

Sorry that some of you are finding it difficult being SAHMs. I know last time around I couldn;t wait to get back to work for some adult conversation, however after a couple of days I was wishing I'd stayed on Mat Leave!

If I could afford it, I would love to take the full year maternity leave, but needs mst and I will be going back in November as I am the main breadwinner.

Sorry to those of you that have blocked ducts or mastitis. It must be painful and frustrating.

Re weights, Luke was weighed on Tuesday and at 9+1 he was 11lb 3oz. Luckily his jabs don't seemed to have affected him. And he is beginning to sleep through the night! Last night we put him down at 8pm, woke him at midnight for a dream feed of which he only had 3 oz and then he didn't stir until 7am! DH couldn't believe it. I always do the late feed and DH goes to bed. As he has to get up for work in the morning he doesn't mind feeding L at 6ish and letting me sleep on until 8, so he was well impressed at not being woken until 7 this morning. I know this was a first and may not be repeated for sometime but it was an achievement in my eyes!

Hi to everyone. Sorry I don't necessarily reply to you individually but having another child as well as a newborn, I don't always get time to keep up to date on a daily basis and by the time I have 'caught up' I've forgotten who has said what iykwim.

Better go as pile of yet more ironing calls.

bitofadramaqueen what is the matter with your back if you don't mind me asking?

I had terrible problems when carrying DS1 so much so I spent the last 3 months of pregnancy on crutches only so find I had prolaspsed two of my discs several months later. Didn't help changing DS1 on the floor I agree, but finally after physio, acupucture, epidurals, mris and two consultants later I finally had the microdiscectomy and interspinous spacer operation last year.

Morning all,

changing I have a baby box from my mum downstairs with a changing mat and change him on the floor if I am downstairs. I also have a changing unit with a bath in upstairs in the nursery so if I am upstairs I can do that. I have nappy buckets in both places and clothes etc.

DH and I are both still students at heart so the amount of additional baby clutter doesn't seem to bother either of us, only when we trip over something (beer bottles) or I step on something (beer bottle lids)

babyfirst Isaac hates it, screams when I try and put it on and seems to prefer the music channels or whatever I am watching - discovery, national geographic during the day

weight had Isaac weighed on Thurs and he has only put on 5oz in the last two weeks but I am going to not go now until he has his next set of jabs unless I have a problem. Think this coincides with him sleeping through and also going longer between feeds (3-4 hours as opposed to 90 mins to 2.5 hours).

sleeping through although he will happily go 10 - 6 without a feed he seems to be awake at 6 so I have been feeding him at 5.30 and then he sleeps til 7.30 or 8 - am I setting myself up for something here or should I enjoy the additional sleep while it lasts?

Off to an NCT antenatal class this morning to show of Isaac and talk to mums to be, can't believe that it was us in that position at the start of May

Sorry to hear about your mum PP I am in a similar situation with my grandfather, although both my dad and grandmother have said don't take Isaac to visit him I would love to be able for them to meet just so I knew Isaac had met his great grandad but I have to respect the wishes of others as well.

DH has left for work and is not now expected back until early tomorrow morning (8 - midnight day) as he has 2 managers of sick, so I might be on here later having some issues/ranting.

Well must be off for a cuppa now, Have a good day

Hedgehog emjoy the extra sleep, my lovley SIL has finally after 8 years got her oldest one to sleep beyond 5.30