Sept 08 - Is it day or night?

[lollyheart]

Hope no one minds me starting a new thread?

Oh, I also hadn't pulled the inner strap right the way across her body the first time, the second time I made sure the fabric was all the way across her, maybe this is what added the extra pressure.

trying to catch up...

DD's also looking so big now, well, compared to when she was born! She's as long as her basket (not a standard moses basket, just a normal basket I customed...) and so now looking for a small pop-up type thing to put her in during the day, as it's a lot more practical to have her downstairs... we've had a really good day las Friday, but after that she has been a bit of a nightmare - she only slips in short stints during the day, and as soon as she wakes up she thinks she needs a feed, and falls asleep after 30 secs on the breasts, but as soon as I put her in the basket, she wakes up again, so I'm forever carrying her, either cos I'm feeding her, or getting her to sleep, or she's asleep in my arms, or just cos she likes being carried around looking around. and like her brother, she's constantly trying to stand up if I'm sitting, which is even more painful on my arms! But after all that, she's lovely, she's so interactive now, always trying to catch my attention, smiling, chatting, and loving her big brother's performances!

night time, well, it's difficult. we'd started putting her in her crib around 7, but it would take over an hour of up and downs... so gave up and put her down in her basket in the kitchen, so that DS wouldn't hve his bedtime disrupted. But this week I've started taking her up again, putting her on our bed with me laying next to her... hopefully she'll get used to falling asleep in the room and eventually in her crib by herself (which she does after the 10.30 pm feed with no problem!)

carrieon Unless I'm planning to sleep myself early evening I don't bother even trying to get baby Starlight to sleep. I pick my battles. It is more important to me that she sleeps as much as possible when I do, and everything else is a bonus.

Pacita

'The problem is that very often he'll wake up half an hour after I've put him down and need feeding again to go back to sleep'

That would only be a problem to me if it happened past midnight, - and sometimes it does . I just feed away anyway. She's very little and doesn't even know herself whether she wants food or comfort. She just doesn't 'get' life yet and if sucking makes her feel more secure I kinda feel I have to put up with it and rearrange my life as much as possible IN THE EARLY days to help her adjust.

Not saying what I do is the 'right' thing btw, only that I think lowering your expectations and acknowledging that they are still very very tiny can help. It works for us anyway!

Iliketoscareyouscareyou and family seem to be getting into a routine-ish that suits them. I think the trick is to not push things too early and see what your baby will let you get away with, rather than forcing things iyswim.

starlight to start, when i read your bit about justin having many talents, ((SADDO ALERT)) i held up my hand and signed "yes" and said it aloud in the same tone he does. "YeeessSss!" HAHAHAHAHA

but on another note, thanks again for the response to feeding and sanity. and i agree about it being a bit of a torture chamber have two under or at 2 years. but i'm doing my best to get on with it, and feeding from the boob when i can and slipping in a ff at other times (mostly at night). i'm sure hoping it will smooth out in the next few weeks or so and whatever it ends up being, so be it! i just want to enjoy my children for every moment that i possibly can (as we all do).

oh, and as far as the *"non-friendly" bf place...im not sure if it was really non-bfing but more so, rather maybe not the best place & time for it. we took ds1 to a "day Out With Thomas" event and it was very cold and all outdoors/on a train packed with people...not really anywhere to sit and feed...unless i were to hike it back to the car and sit there. ds2 was given a bottle when we arrived there and i felt i 'couldnt' feed. and when the day was over and dh was packing up the car, i fed ds2 then. ((and man o man, was i ever engorged!! ))

sorry i haven't been on for a few days....

I see that i'm not the only one dealing with absolutely no sleep after 4 am. He's great and will sleep for a few hours but after that it's in and out of bed to try to get him to settle. I finally just gave up and started bringing him into bed with me. do you think it's influencing bad habits for the future? dh is really worried that ds will only want to sleep in our bed now.... just not really sure what else to do as i'm finally starting to get a little more sleep.

oh....and i'm pretty sure he's starting his 6 week growth spurt. he's been feeding non-stop since last night and he's getting so grumpy from the lack of sleep. hoping this won't last very long. i'm so tired!

Just a heads up... Sainbsburys have 1/3 off all thijngs baby again, but missed how long the offer was on for. Sorry.

mellabella I don't really hold with the bad habbits thing, but answer this:

IF (and it is a big IF) getting your DS out of your bed in 6months/1yr whenever will be hard, will it seriously make lifer harder THEN than it is now?

Perhaps you will prefer to have that battle in months to come rather than now, when you are much less of a zombie and your lo is old enough to have a bit of understanding about the world!

Boy do I know about the 6 week growth spurt. 3 days long so far but seems to be improving!

mellabella my DD went a bit silly last week, feeding lots but never seeming settled, and it was hellish. Looking back I think it was a growth spurt. She's just gained 13oz in 10 days which I think had something to do with it.

I am having to look after the entire household today. DP is recovering from having the 'snip' and has to lie flat for another 24 hours (apparently his bits hacve gone purple ), DS threw his dinner everywhere and needed a change of clothes although DD has been good and is having a long nap.

My challenge for the day is to try and clear the washing up, some of which has been hanging around since friday .

Meglet Am I right in thinking we have mirror families?

ooo, is your kitchen a pig sty too .

I am waiting for the magic pixies to come and tidy mine...........wonder where they are?

MuwahahahaMom LOLOLOLOLOLOL at your justin response. i know just what you mean i cant help joining in when its on! would love to go down the pub with him and sarah-jane one day bet they dont stop swearing

Oh dear, haven't had time to post at all, but am keeping up with you all...over here we don't get a 6 week check, but have a 4 week one & an 8 week one which Samuel had last Wed - & weighed in at a hefty 131b!! So something is going in...am still wondering whether to drop the last BF and replace with Formula, then keep reading things like "just try & keep going one more day!" and carry on...won't be around for a week or so now as we are risking a trip over to the UK to show him off to family - am still not convinced its the right thing to do, but its all planned now. DH has gone off to fill the car up with fuel & it has just occurred to me it is the longest we've been separated (me & Sam that is, not me & DH!

Erm yes atually Meglet, but I meant more that we have 23m DSs and newborn DDs.

MuwahahahaMom I'm afraid I join in with Justin too. I watched him this morning all on my own coz DS was having a nap

Gave A his first formula last night, as I was in too much pain to feed and just had to give my breasts the night off. Luckily, he guzzled the lot just as happily as he'd knocked back 150ml ebm three hours earlier. And was still content to have my breast three times in the night.

Been expressing lots today. Feeling relieved that I don't have to decide any more when to 'give in' and resort to formula, hoping I feel better soon, and figuring I probably am getting depressed again after spending all morning crying despite the sunshine and someone else looking after A. Time to get outside with A... but probably time for happy pills tonight.

meglet the cleaning fairies have been booked to come to my house so that's why they're not at your house yet. Mind you I have been waiting a very long time for them, it was weeks ago I ordered them.

notcitrus hope you feel cheerier soon and I hope today's sunshine will help.

Jenpet Lovely to hear from you. Good luck with your UK trip!

plus1 LOLOL i'd put money on it! (re: sarah-jane and justin swearing left & right)

Hello strangers! Have hardly been able to log on the last couple of weeks and it's impossible to catch up with you all... Just wanted to say hi to everyone whilst I have a chance (DD is feeding - yet again!) Hello Pidge - I saw that you asked after me a few pages back, thank you! Glad Arthur is feeding well now and getting bigger.

All is well here. We have agreed a name for our lovely DD - Iris. She is beautiful and I keep forgetting that she is just 3 weeks old. However, we have been struggling with colic for a little while. Some nights she is ok and others (like the last 2) she has had a massive crying fit poor thing. Nothing consoles her and we are trying everything.

Breastfeeding has been going ok although I had a touch of mastitis last week and a terrible fever but luckily it passed and I didn't need to take antibiotics. Been suffering with sore nipples though. I don't know why because they were fine once I'd got through the first few painful days. I am worried that the latch isn't always good and this doesn't help the wind either... Still, hopefully it will get better as time goes on. Shall persevere though and try expressing soon too so DP can feed Iris too.

Hope everyone is well, if tired

mella - DD stays in bed with us after the 3am feed (which can happen anytime btw 3 and 5 and full or half) cos we're both too tired to get up andput her back in her cot and because she thinks it's hilarious to giggle and chat at that time unless I hold her very close til she falls asleep! worried about bad habits, but really need the sleep atm, and don't want to wake DS up at that time either!

Debi - meglet - can you send the fairies over after they've finished at your place? got washing to put away since last week (some could have been waiting on my dresser for 2 weeks too )

Hi. Half term is doing me in. My dh has been working on sundays and I just seem to say NO all the time to my ds. They both need me at the same time. I am fed up. Look at the time and I have not eaten yet. I walk around the house with a very cross face. Lorea sleeps very badly at night in my bed and very well during the day in the sling. Sorry

potxola we have a bedside cot - we bought it last week to try and help the transition from co-sleeping. So far DS spends about 50% of the night in it. He definitely notices the difference between our mattress and the cot mattress. But it's brilliant for the times I like to feed him to sleep whilst lying down as I can half lie in the cot and then move back into my bed when he's done.

I've just bought a proper swaddling blanket so we'll try that as well tonight as he always manages to punch his way out of the other blankets we've tried.

T has been in a bit of a state today, as I think his 6 week growth spurt coincided with my hospital check today, and my appointment disrupting his routine combined with him wanting to feed more often anyway is not a good thing! However, he's been so good recently that I have no doubt that he'll slot back into his routine when he's done growing.

I bought some baby einstein DVDs to park T in front of, I am such a bad mother. He loves staring at the TV for a short time when he's in a good mood, so I figured he might as well watch something that I can vaguely convince myself is educational. He's also developing a bit of a love of the black and white book propped up in his line of sight. My god, it's hard work trying to keep him entertained now he's a bit more wakeful though.

In other news, at my hosp appointment I was promised a CS for any future child I might have, which was a massive relief. They said they would recommend it due to the risk of greater tearing in future (3rd degree and heamorrage this time), and I agreed! It's now written on my notes from this time, which I'm contemplating asking for a copy of (Starlight, didn't you get hold of your notes from last time? how do I do it?) so that I have it written down should anyone try to pressure me into another natural delivery.

well... the washing up is still there . We had a hectic afternoon at my friends house as her DD has just turned 2, it was fecking chaos. Then when we left it started snowing so I had a challenge getting them both in the car in the freezing snow (which we weren't dressed for). I have decided to give up on housework today but am doing the Tesco shop online instead in a moment, I think that earns a couple of mummy brownie points.

starlight you are quite right, i forgot our DC's are almost the same. Are you almost dreading the influx of birthday and xmas presents, I don't know where we are going to put everything. Now we have 2 DC's we will be overrun with toys!!!

DP is starting to feel better, I hope he'll be able to potter about the house tomorrow. He has his bits covered in dressing, he looks like a well padded Calvin Klein model .

JennyL - Great to hear from you and glad you're doing ok. Have been wondering so much how you were getting on. You have made a TOP choice of name ..... but then I'm a bit biased, as that is the name of our second daughter .

Sore nips here too - the left is still really, toe curlingly painful, but the breastfeeding counsellor I saw last night thinks the latch is fine. She said sometimes it is just a case of toughening up a bit. I think it is beginning to improve, so fingers crossed not much longer till feeding is enjoyable and comfortable.

I'm still taking the domperidone to improve my supply, and the next baby "weigh in" is on Thursday, so until then I'm trying to express and top him up at least once a day.

Our nights are still pretty good - with only two wakings. Arthur tends to start off in the moses basket and then graduates to our bed after the first or second feed. Main problem is he likes to sleep till gone 8am, which is not going to work once I'm on school run duty after half term. I need to try to shift his schedule somehow - probably by putting him to bed earlier.

potxola can you remember when you took the arnica tablets before your csection? (or anyone else who had an elective csec and was taking them) I've just given my leftover tablets to a friend (looked very dodgy me passing her ta little bag of little white tablets) who's having an elective next week and I know its 4 a day for 3 days then 3 a day for 4 days but don't know how many she should take before and when she should take them.