Sept 08 - Is it day or night?

[lollyheart]

Hope no one minds me starting a new thread?

Potxola

'I am tryng to get rid of the crib for £25.00 in Exeter with new matress and a mobile, none of my children slept on it. I hate the thing.'

This is not the best sales pitch I've heard!

Well hello there ladies... so sorry for deserting you for so long, how on earth do you find the time to post? I've been following the thread religiously though and it's lovely to hear how everyone's getting on with their bundles of joy. I was particularly impressed with digitalgirls amazing feat of getting bf underway against the odds... well done!

Anya is 6 weeks old tomorrow, and has mostly been a little angel despite a knackering growth spurt this week. I am bf on demand and have no routine... I've tried putting her in her crib in the early evening but she cries as soon as I leave the room. It suits us to have her downstairs with us feeding and napping til 10.30ish and I'm determined not to feel guilty about this! Was also delighted to find I could get all the housework done this week by just popping her into the wilkinet... she was happy in there for most of the day!

The only thing really bothering me at the mo is that I can't seem to get her to take a bottle of ebm. It's not essential right now but I'm hoping to be able to have an afternoon/evening out without her in a month or 2 and don't want to leave it so long that she completely refuses the bottle. Any suggestions? I've tried leaving the room so she doesn't know there's an alternative, but she just gags on it and bats the bottle away from dh. Am using Philips Avent bottles with newborn teat and haven't tried any others yet...

Littleconnie I spend a lot of my life feeding on the sofa so can mn.

Have you tried the MAM teats? They fit the avent bottles and are a little more nipple shaped.

You just need to persist really, she'll get used to it. It requires different skills!

Potxola glad you're making some progress with the bedside cot!

T has been so sleepy today, so I'm anticipating major drama tonight, can't imagine he's going to get a good night's sleep after the 7 hours or whatever he's had during the day today! Although his day did start at 5am (he woke then for a feed, but didn't settle back down as he normally does). A shame, as he was really getting back on track after his growth spurt. Ah well, maybe it won't be as bad as I'm anticipating, since he's currently partying (usually asleep by now) with DP upstairs while I watch Merlin on BBC1

Headlesshorsemum you know the type! With DD1 I out the outfits on her for a photocall and that was about it.

Starlight I agree - we SHOULD all live in all in ones (although not quite cat suits). I agree about ironing - never do it. Re expressing, I think I have a fast let down (as poor Maebh often comes off spluttering, and plenty of supply (she puts on 10 -12 oz a week and DD1 used to put on 1 lb a week). I was shocked at 12 oz though.

SunflowerNeedsSunshine glad to see you back with a cheery name

Does anyone else totally struggle to find things to entertain their baby? T is currently under the baby gym thing, but will bore of that in about 5 mins, so it'll be back to pulling faces and singing nursery rhymes while he sits in his bouncy chair! He's now awake for at least an hour after his daytime feeds, and it's soooo hard to keep entertaining him for that long! Although he's currently trying to poo, so that should keep him occupied for a while...

hopefully, D gets the hiccups and that keeps him fascinated for a while. Problem is, he sometimes gets them after a feed in the middle of the night, which is not conducive to restful sleep for him or his parents...

Also, there is this great soft book from amazon that he spends ages looking at, specially the mirror.

Re baby clothes, I just have to tell you but please don't laugh!!!

As I have loads of 0-3 mth stuff (mum went a bit mad) she told everyone to get me bigger things if they were buying when baby was born. My auntie (God love her) bought the most horrendous 18mth old dungaries and hooded vest . BUT the worst thing... a Thomas the Tank Engine 3 YEAR OLD T shirt. Where the hell is that supposed to go for 3 years??? Think I could use it as a dish cloth?

Has it got tags?

All clothes with tags go on dd for a quick photo to go with the thank you card, then back to the shop for an exchange for sleepsuits!

Is that really deceitful?

Starlight.

That sounds a fab idea, however all tags have been removed. And I would have to wait years to be able to do the photos as they wouldn't be able to see DS as the clothes are that big!

Oh, and there are a pair of trainers that would almost fit me and a Lonsdale tracksuit. How very Chavvy. Sorry if any of you have one

MelT76 I second Starlight - on for a photo only or possibly give to someone else's baby (although that can be cruel if you like them ). I think some things we've been bough must be cast offs - I'm sure my friends have better taste!

pacita do you have a sling - you can get on with what you want, and keep up a chatter to entertain - M spends a while on mumsnet with me as well!

Starlight Yes, you are right, but I was not trying to sell it to any of you.
I really hate it, It looks lovely, but obviously not good enough for my little ones. It is taking lots of room. I am giving a cot mobile for free to see if someone answers me. It is in NETMUMS Exeter

Has anyone else lost their brain? I managed to get DH to look after DD for an hour so I could have a relaxing bath all on my own. I used all my fancy bath products and it was BLISS. But then I thought, oh I'll just quickly wash my hair while I'm in the bath, forgetting that I had poured copious quantities of bath oil in the water! My hair now looks like I have borrowed it from a heroin addict who hasn't had a wash for a month. And I don't have time to wash it again. Why oh why didn't I wash it under the shower?

hopefully I'm doing exactly the same as you - GF routine times with baby whisperer techniques! He's settled beautifully for his naps today as I've taken him to bed 'at the first yawn', had calm down cuddles in the dark, picked him up when he howled and left him calm but awake and he drifted off. I didn't leave the house yesterday and worked very hard at keeping ds awake for a couple of hours between lunch and dinner (lots of baths!) but we more than reaped the benefits overnight, hooray!
I've just been bad and let him sleep for a 3 hour stint though... I can totally see that if he has a massive sleep in the day, he doesn't go for as long stints at night.
As for the blackout blinds debate, it depends on your lifestyle really but I loved knowing that I'm going to be at home for 2 hours in the middle of the day, having my lunch in peace and quiet, checking my emails (and MN) and watching a bit of tv while the kids sleep. Then I'm all refreshed for whatever we've got planned for the afternoons. The number of times I've wished dd would fall asleep in the buggy are few and far between. I was persuaded to the benefits of this by a mum who hadn't trained her kids to sleep in bed in the day and wished she had. Best advice I ever received IMHO. When I go for lunch dates at friends houses, I take the travel cot and baa baa blind and get 2 hours peace and quiet there instead!

As for how to entertain your newborn...have another baby! Looking after ds at this age is so much easier - dd does it!!

LOL at headlesshorsemum. I realised I'd admitted defeat with my hair when I put the crib in front of the cupboard with the hairdryer and straighteners in. Clearly not anticipating having the oppotunity to get to use them! Hope you get to wash yours again soon!

Well, I tried to give the routine a go yesterday. We woke up at 7 and fed, had a bit of playtime, then nap. Avoided sleeps of more than two hours during the day - longest one in the kari-me sling, and in the evening I fed him at 7 and put him down (asleep, although I know the idea is to put him down awake) 7:30. It all worked really well until the 2 AM feed, when he decided to be a wake for a couple of hours. He did not scream, but made farmhouse noises in his cot. We did rock him for a bit.

Today, however, he's been howling and very unsettled. I know he's not hungry (although he takes the nipple everytime it's offered) because he's been throwing up excess milk. NOthing except being put in his sling or sleeping on top of me will soothe him. What have I done wrong?

I am thinking perhaps he is uncomfortable because of the very dry skin in his face, as the milk spots are drying up. He's got dry patches which are particularly bad behind his ears. What baby friendly moisturiser should I use, if any?

Thanks ladies, any ideas appreciated.

Pacita - My ds has very dry skin (and had a rash a few weeks ago) - the GP said that I could use a little E45 cream on it.

Carrieon glad I'm not the only one whose following GF/BW hybrid! T has been really good today, we've been trying to get him on his first sleep cue. Trouble is, I've been timing it so well that he's been nodding off before we even get to hisw cot, while we're still in 'wind down' time - think I may need to shorten the wind down period!

pactia you're not doing anything wrong - just let your DS have a good sleep wherever he will, and try again tomorrow - things aren't going to come right immediately - it will take him a while to get used to the idea of day times being awake time and nights being for sleeping, and while he';s working it out all you need to do is keep him as happy as possible!

Pacita the other thing I did was try to avoid BF until I'd avoided all other comfort techniques, as long as knew he'd had a really good feed within the past 90 mins (obviously if nothing else works, feed, but at least you've gained another 10 mins between feeds). As soon as I got beyond that stage, I'd offer a feed if he got really fractious, but try to keep him awake and feeding for a full feed, so I could again know he wasn't hungry for at least a few minutes!

Hi,
Something worth remembering and the mums who have just had the second child know very well:
Relax, whatever problem ypo have with your baby re. sleeping is only a phase and it will pass.
Having said that, I will probably panic about something else tomorrow
I have given up trying dummies, she hates them all, she just wants my breast. I think i am irresistible for her. I take it as a compliment

AND, YES the bedside cot worked again. She slept again on it by herself after BF and semiawake from 23:00 till 7:00, waking up only twice for 10 min feeds and went straight to sleep.

I feed her in a fishing chair (camping chair), YES! it is great, very confortable to use with the BF pillow and it is only £6:00.
I had problems with my back before and I could not afford a BF chair, but this does the job. After she is fed I need to go on top of my bed while holding her upright and walk on my knees till I reach the side of the bed where her bedside cot is. Can you picture it? And then I put her in her cot, obviosly not asleep after all that trip to get there. She doesn't seem to mind,she just wants to strech her arms fully and sleep. I can't believe the transformation.
She used to screanm anytime I put her down, she still does if I put her in the mosses basket during the day.So, it is "the arms factor" with this one.

poxtola my DD seems more settled in her cot than she was in her moses basket. Moses baskets must be pretty uncomfortable when you think about it.

I have no idea what DD is up to. Until about 3 weeks ago she was really good at night and would usually go for 4/5 hours between night feeds. Recently she has been waking every 2/3 hours . We are not amused! TBH I'm totally fed up and getting worn out and grumpy. Last night was good (feed 9pm, sleep 3:30am, sleep, feed at 7:30am) but I'm sure that tonight things will go wrong again. My mum keeps saying that things get worse just before they start to really improve, but I'm not convinced!!

DP is putting a stairgate across DS's bedroom door so I can shower / go to the toilet / do housework in peace without him rampaging round the house. I'll only use it for a short while, but it might just keep everything running smoothly. I can't even put my contact lenses in without him trashing a bedroom . With a bit of luck he'll grow out of it soon.

Just catching up with posts -had busy weekend and went to zoo on friday (DD slept all the way round...). DP now watching grand prix with DD on shoulder.

What Hopefully et al were saying about routines and Gina Ford - it seems DD has sort of got herself following the Gina route without me actually reading the book. She will feed about every 3 hrs during the day and sleeps quite alot in between (though at 6 weeks is starting to slowly wake up a bit more in the day). It suits her and suits us, as she will go to sleep in her cot during the day.

She is also an angel night sleeper - takes her final bottle at 11 and then sleeps through until morning.

My difficult part of the day is the evening. hopefully I think you mentioned T had evening colic - any tips on how you deal with it? Charlotte takes her 7.30 bottle and falls asleep quickly but after 20-40mins (every single night - we've timed it) is, bang, wide awake for no reason and then cries non stop until her last feed. We've tried allsorts but no success.
I have various bits of advice from friends/relatives - half say we should just hold her all evening and eat our dinner in shifts and half say we've got her bad habits and we should put her to bed and shush pat over several nights until she finally settles herself. i worry that she is not sleeping during the evening and that makes her tired during the day. Also DP has put off his overnight business trips for as long as he could but from next week he resumes them - I'll be completely alone day and night on a regular basis (several nights a month) which will make evenings doubly hard.
Sorry for long post but grateful for any thoughts you have.

lollipopmother thanks for your advice re the Wilkinet. Mine arrived yesterday and it's great and DP actually likes it! he was worried it would be a 'hippy fabric sling which I am NOT wearing' (his words)

Can't believe how fast some of your LOs are growing. DD is almost 7 weeks and is 9lb 1 oz - she only put on 4 oz this week!

potxola you are giving me a lot of hope regarding the bedside cot! We actally have one but it is not assembled yet, as we are still using the moses basket and not having TOOO many problems.

I really like the idea of the bedside cot, but the only thing stopping us making the transition is how to work it. i.e. how do I get into and out of bed? I can't climb over DH and get in his side. Where do I put my bedside table? (which I need for water, nipple cream, lamp, thrush medication, my glasses, etc etc...). Please tell me how this works.

carrieon - glad to know I'm not the only one with bad hair. What ever would eandz think of us?

By the way, I am back to being Ponymum after being Headlesshorsemum for Halloween. Nice to have my head back on again.