September 08 - Just ladies with babies

[pacita]

I thought I'd start a new thread before we run out of space...

Got a bargain on ds2's Christmas present earlier. The thing I wanted to get him- a Fisher Price tabletop activity mat- seemed to be out of stock everywhere so looked on ebay where there were a few. It's £15 new and I lost out on one this morning that went for £14 inc postage. But I'm so glad as I've just won another one and got it for £4.20 inc postage!! It's new but has no box but I don't think ds2 will care about that.

Hey, I guessed right! Clearly I watch too much crap saturday night telly.

OMG. He is up. Again. Very unlike him. Thank god I get to pump and go to bed in a minute.

we tried to fight the evening sleeping in crib thing last night but it really didn't work. He did his half hour but then woke and wouldn't settle. he would calm down with the ssshhhing but not go to sleep, then he started kicking his legs up so thought maybe he needed a burp so dh picked him up and he sort of settled in his arms but only really dozed. The whole thing seemed pointless in the end as he got less sleep than he would of if we'd had him downstairs and me and dh got stressed!
Got friends coming round tomorrow night so won't be able to run up and down stairs all night so that seemed like a good excuse not to fight it again tonight. I do want to win the battle soon though, would be nice to have our evenings free by Christmas.

Hi
Can you believe it. I have forgotten how to use MM! I am going mad.

Right I think I have my layout sorted. Hi guys. I will endeavour to catch up now.
All great this end now after a hectic few weeks.

I feel more like myself now

I've got a pot of ebm in the freezer with only about an ounce in it. I've expressed another 3 ounces today, its been in the fridge since this aft, can I add it to the milk thats in the freezer?

hi all, not been on this for a few days and its taken me about an hour to catch up - skimming too! sorry to see some little ones have been poorly - hope they are feeling better now

We were at a friends wedding on Friday, DH was an usher so we let DD1 stay at her Aunts and took DD2 to the wedding. Jessica wore the most lovely party dress and was very much admired. She managed to BF during the entire service, speeches and supper. DH and i even managed a few dances. Had a horrible moment when meeting SIL to drop off DD1. DD2 was in her pram and i had DD1 (just 3years) by the hand got to lift to go to shops from parking area, lift opened and was just big enough for 1 pram and maybe 2 people. Lady and pram came out and i asked DD1 to go in and i tried to follow her with pram, doors started to close and i pressed the buttons but the doors just closed with me and pram on outside and DD1 in the lift. Frantically pressing buttons and lift came back but DD1 was not there panic. Got in lift and worked out she had to have gone up just one floor to shopping level. the doors opened and there she was just standing looking at the doors - i was so relieved and had to try hard not to cry She could have so easily been taken by someone or got out in another carpark level and been lost or hit by a car - bloody lift buttons not responding!!!!!!!!

Anyway all ok now, think Jessica is getting a cold though very snuffly. We are only going to get Jess 1 xmas present - a lovely soft bunny toy, although i think santa may visit her too

sagecat how alarming! Very good of your dd to just stand and wait for you.

We had a night of dooooom last night. I went to bed at 10:30pm after expressing. DP then fed t at 11. T woke at 3am (90 mins earlier than normal), and was up till 5:30. i wanted to die. he then woke at 7:30 for breakfast. we have decided DP is going to do a formula feed for the 4am one (i can't express enough) so i can have a night off, and we can see if he settles more quickly. i'm sorry to be using formula, but i am literally ending up in weeping hysterics every single night, and something has to give. if he was showing signs of going longer i would cling on, but since his 11:30pm sleep is getting progressively shorter i just can't.
We'll try to come up with a proper plan of action after tonight when my brain is functioning again.

All you baby wearers can I have some help please??
Have been using my sling to take Robyn for walks and to get stuff done when dhe won't settle and basically I love wearing her. I don't love wearing the sling tho.
It is a ring sling which goes over one shoulder and fans out to distribute the weight. The problem is it is digging into my arms so much I am getting bruises, and it does restrict my arms when wearing.
Had a look in Mothercare book at the carriers but it said if baby sleeps then they should be put in the cot which to me defeats the object of babywearing.
Do any of you have any suggestions on something more comfy to wear. I am a size 18 so need something for the larger body

Oh and i got an email back from Vue cinemas, they don't do a newbie screening but you can take baby to anything under a 12a.

debs75 - is that because anything above a 12a is unsuitable for a baby

I think so but I would think that under 1 year they aren't going to take much notice. Robyn only seems to like watching football.
We did think that maybe if it was an action or thriller then there could be more loud noises that would startle baby and as you should leave if they are distressed you wouldn't get to see much of the film.

Hi all, hope youre all ok.

sagecat you did so well not to cry and scream!! How scary

Today I am officially starting my thats-it-i-really-must-stop-eating-so-much-crap-and-start-losing-weight-so-i-dont-look-5 months-pregnant diet! Must be good must be good...

Going to a spa in a few weeks- what do I do about leaking boobs in a swimming costume??!! And if I express some milk while I am there will it be OK not kept in a fridge til I get home?

City Screen in York does parent and baby screenings every Wednesday at 11am. It is part of the Picturehouse group so maybe others in the group do too. It's called The Big Scream, see link. Sounds very baby friendly! I am going either this week or next week with some mums from my NCT class.

poor you hopefully sleep deprevation is a terrible thing, and the world sems so much worse when you're awake in the middle of the night.

I agree with Starlight that you may well express a lot more another time of the day. Your prolactin levels are greatest at night so morning shouold be a good time to express - evening is probably when you have lowest milk production, but someone might correct me on that.

Plusonemore milk can be kept for 8 hours at room temp, so you should be fine! Can you get one of those cossies with padded cups, that should absorb some milk

Debs it's mad isn't it, but a lot of cinemas stick with the 12a because you have to be 15 to watch a 15!! I saw quantum of solace with M, she slept all through it, but the baby next to me did flinch a bit at some of the bangs (he was 5 months tho')

There's been a lot of discussions about slings, I love my Kari-me and my gypsy mama. They're both tie wraps but are SOOOO comfy. I think bebe canelle have half price gypsy mamas atm.

I'm off to the doctors this evening, my throats even more sore and I'll be lucky if I can drink never mind eat today.

Debs what the hell does Mothercare know about babywearing? And what the hell do they know about you and your baby?

Back when women were gatherers (well we still are, we just gather clothes, handbags and shoes now) their babies had to travel with them. they didn't get put down to sleep. We evolved sleeping on the move. You cannot turn back the clock of 2million years of evolution in a mere 200 years. Babies expect to be held close (and on the move) when sleeping which is why they jerk awake after the 40 min sleep cycle they have. They discovered they have been put down and want to make sure their tribe didn't wander off to the next hillock and stay behind. The babies that were left behind didn't get the chance to pass on their genes.

If funds are limited and you want to try before you buy, I have a Babyhawk Mei Tai I am willing to let you experiment with.

Now as far as your ringsling goes, I don't use them much. are you able to cap the fabric over the end of your shoulder? It limits the range of movement for that arm but will stop the bruising.

I suggest a two shoulder carrier. How old is your baby? I am sure older than my dd. Would you consider a Soft Structured carrier? Buckles or straps depending on how crunchy you don't mind looking.

at the image leaving the baby on the hillock foxy will be chuckling at that one all day....

Hello all..

Well, what a rubbish start to the week...I have this throat virus/cough thing thats going round and feel horrid. Really hope baby T doesnt get it.

Had ds1 parents evening on friday and he is having to have extra help with his writing...no one told me! His teacher says he tries very hard but just cant seem to get it. Feel like such a rubbish mummy - really havent been spending the time with him on his homework like I should have been

Baby T decided to do a massive poo just as we were leaving for the school run so I had to do a complete strip and nappy change - needless to say we were late. And it was pissing it down.

Feel very horrid and weepy today. Baby T very unsettled too....he fed at 10pm, 3am and 6am last night and was quite unsettled in between so am very tired.

Docs tomorrow again to check that my stitches/granuloma has healed....feel like I really should be over the birth now, not still suffering the after effects

Sorry for the whingy post.....

hopefully I know you are sceptical about trying to go with the flow. However, it sounds like it is time for your to go back to square one. IE, do what you need to in the short term to address the sleep deprivation you are suffering. When I was at the same point you are now when dd1 was tiny it was to sleep together for daytime naps to regain my sanity and perspective.

Remember that while the Baby Whisperer makes perfect sense to you, T hasn't read it yet. Tracy Hogg wrote the book for a theoretical baby, not for T.

Right, hope you don't feel jumped upon but I feel for you so I couldn't stay quiet. I have walked in those shoes of yours before and as a teacher, I have to have structure in my professional life so I know routine.

I have a Close carrier which I really like, but have only used it in the house so far as the weather here has been AWFUL.

ninja and starlight I tried expressing at 11am yesterday and saturday while dp was here in the hope of building up a bit of a reserve, but only managed to get 1oz in total each day (expressed from both sides). I don't leak at all, ever, not a drop, so i'm wondering whether I'm just always going to struggle to get anything out on top of what T gets himself.
I'm just completely overwhelmed by the interrupted sleep ( would have no probs at all with night feeding if it only lasted an hour or 90 mins) and it's leaving me incapable of coping during the day. Even if I nap I never manage to 'catch up' those lost 2.5 hours from 4am.