September 08 - Just ladies with babies

[pacita]

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

sass really appreciate the tips. I do bath D with oilatum and add a drop of olive oil for good measure.

Today I was quite distressed as with the cold weather D's face was all dry, scaly and very, very rough. The skin of his legs is like sand paper and today after the bath I gave him olive oil, as didn't want to use The aqueous cream. I will buy aveeno tomorrow... Did you do anything else to soften her skin? He feels like a lizzard and is scratching himself. I've bought a humidifier and use sensitive skin washing powder.

Hi ladies!
I wanted to start by saying a huge thank you as you have all helped to keep me sane over the last 9 weeks! It has been so reassuring to come on here after a difficult/crap day and realise that Im not the only one who's baby has done/not done x/y/z...and that there isn't anything wrong (my NCT friends all seem to have model babies...either that or they're all lying!)
Just wondered if I could pick all your brains for some advice...ds is 9 weeks old, and bf during day, with 3 bottles in eve/night, and we're having real issues. With bottles, he feeds absolutely fine, but screams as soon as he's taken off to be winded, and then fairly quickly burps v violently, and brings up a forceful amount of milk/sick (not projectile though) When I bf, he is similarly upset when taken off to wind (and I have to, as if I leave him on he eventually brings it up on my breast as he feeds-not nice!) but takes ages to burp (is very rarely sick with this though)
I just wondered if his distress when being winded is normal - does anyone else get this? He sounds like he is in real pain. We use infacol at beginning of ff, but he doesnt seem colicky in evenings etc-its only at end of feeds. He's also just started wriggling around loads when I bf, and arching his back, as well as coming on and off constantly quite upset. I wondered if it was reflux, but he doesnt do this at all with ff-feeds fine until taken off. Any idea what might be wrong anyone?
Thank you in advance

Cat T used to be a bit like this to be winded, and still is occasionally - my theory is that they have a very very low pain threshold, and the discomfort of wind is above that for lots of babies! Someone else might come and tell you why it really happens though...

what about trying to feed him in a more upright position? Or try different bottles that are 'anti colic'? i like the coloured ones with the valve in the base (cant remember the name)

cat have you tried going down a teat size with the bottles? Dd was always on the size behind the recommended one for her age. Her problem was that the milk came so fast she'd guzzle the lot and overwhelm herself and bring it back up.
I know about the burping while bf - gross! Hope you get it sorted

OMG T has gone down in the evening (after his bath and feed bedtime routine, which finishes at about 6:45pm) for the first time in about 10 days. It's so nice! He's been on sleep strike for this period for some reason, despite being apparently knackered and ready for sleep.

Me, DP and my mother are all sitting here twiddling our thumbs, not quite sure what to do with ourselves...

I've tried the dr Brown anti colic ones, but they made no difference...might have a hunt and see if anyone else does anticolic ones.

He had been on teat size 1, but was taking 45mins to drink 7oz, so we moved him up to size 2-good idea to try going back down thouhg, so will try that too!

have remembered- the coloured bottles are the MAM ones, ds1 really liked them

Pacita, Diego sounds like my dd1, she is really suffering with this weather. Katie still only has it on her face.

If you are going out, check that any cream you put on just before doesn't contain water. If it does it can freeze on the skin and make it a lot worse. When you get the avenoo, put it on sparingly but often. At least 4 times a day I would say. The first few days I put it on Katie every hour or so when she was awake, now that it's looking better I'm down to 3-4 times a day. I don't think there is much else to do at this age. Although you might want to look into using only organic cotton clothes next to his skin. I've asked pil to get some for Katie for christmas as we can't afford it ourselves.

Hope it gets better soon.

Thanks Foxy good point well made.

dd has now been awake since 3 pm and is now too tired to sleep so is just yettling....... oh patience.... I just want a break ! a leetle tiny break! Just go to sleep! please!

exhausted, the only solution is eating loads of comfort food!

Bloody hell biglips I struggle to get 5oz into DD and we only feed 6 times a day! And she's 10 weeks old tommorrow..... But still putting on weight - has hit 10lb mark. I still put her in newborn sleepsuits, they stil fit and she looks so cute. The 0-3m ones hang off her.

Re baby cds/music, DD loves Radio1 - she waves her arms around when Chris Moyles is on .

DD also sleeps with eyes open. Sometimes she is fast asleep in REM and her eys come open and her eyeballs are at the back of her head so all you see is white! Quite freaky.

She still has colic, though it's got better with colief. TBH, it's quite nice not to have to spend ages settling her in the evening - she just stays up with us as there's no point putting her in the cot as she'll just cry. DP also gets more tme with her too. Luckily she does then settle very well at 10.30pm.

Yesterday was very exciting - one of the perks of going back to work next yr - brand new car arrived yesterday to replace my 3 yr old one. Hoping to take DD out for test drive later - nice and sunny too.
Have a good day all!

I've come here to bitch. I've got an awful cold/virus and feel like shite. I'm hot and cold and sweating in places I shouldn't - vile!

imoscarsmum - please send some sun my way, it's dull dull dull here.

ninja have sent you an email with a few qns but overall, up for a trip to piccies with you on thursday!

Cat811 - you could try the tomee tippee anti colic bottles - better than dr browns IMO.

You could also come down a teat size to no.1 and see if it is because your LO is taking too much too quickly...perhaps also go down to a 5-6 oz bottle?

Alternatively, you could try a "comfort" milk such as aptamil easy digest or Cow and Gate...it has made a difference for us but you wont be able to use the anti colic bottles with this type of formula as it is thicker than normal formula and needs to be made with very hot water (and you will need a no2 or 3 teat due to the thickness of it too.)

HTH !!

pacita Very old products but I swear by Sudocrem and Vasoline!!! My ds1 never had nappy rash in the 2 and half years he was in nappies/pull ups and they were all I used and he has very sensitive skin and excema...I always found Diprobase, oilatum and the like pretty rubbish tbh.

HTH x

cat811 It could be reflux in which case a comfort formula may well help, but you can always take your LO to your GP and get some Gaviscon/ranitadine for him to take too....

oh, and I only use non bio stuff to wash clothes and only dressed him in soft cotton which all helped, I think.

If baby has very bad reflux, can get 'stay down' milk on prescription from SMA. Friedn fo mine has a 14 wk old and has this as DS was being very sick after every feed. Plus side is saves milk costs (free prescriptions) but obviously baby suffering quite badly, so last resort methinks.

becaroo thanks. I have actually put vaseline in his cheeks this morning, as I was out for a walk and they were red and scaly. It really is sad to see, as he keeps on scratching his head. I don't know what else to do to improve his itchiness. His whole head is flakey and dry, and the flaky skin goes all the way up to his cradle cap! His legs are like sand paper. I really feel for my baby...

also, yes, you're right, non-bio detergents improve things. I am currently using surcare for sensitive skin, but don't know if it's made things a whole lot better. He is also always dressed in soft cotton vests and baby grows....

Elli is finally asleep in his bouncy chair, hes had a few unsettled days, but now i thnk hes going back to his usual happy self. but have got his second set of injections tomorrow so will probably take another step backwards. I have persueded DH to take the morning off so he can hold him. I was so distressed last time I left the room in a worst state than E

hello all! dd has gone to sleep like a little angel in her moses basket with the minimum complaint.... sigh....

Just out of interest how much do any of you actually GET DONE while caring for these little ones?

Today I have made ds's lunch, hung up two washes, emptied dishwaster, cleared up breakfast, and wasted one hour online looking for charity xmas cards...

I am STILL not dressed and have to collect ds at 3.30.

Other than this I have been feeding, changing and holding dd or eating/drinking and generally slobbing about the house between all the above.

I have family coming to stay tomorrow - when do other people manage to clean?!? I am baffled at how other women do it ( I suspect they don't waste an hour online...)

Hi, thanks for all the thrush tips. Good news is, still persevering with the BF!

Met a new friend + baby yesterday! Our husbands do mountain rescue together and they decided to set us up! It was great. She has tipped me off about a great local NHS BF support worker and insisted I make my useless HV put me in touch with her. Also told me about a mother / baby group in a village just 3 miles from here - which is AMAZING as we are in the middle of nowhere.

Star - I am at your vomit in bra story. Poor you! But I find somehow these things don't seem so gross when you are doing it for your baby.

Pacita - I used the tomee tipee manual pump and it is great, also it is compatible with the avent bottles via the other adaptor. (Not expressing atm though, as I was finding it more exhausting than just doing all the feeds directly.)

Debithescot - not into league, but DH and I watched in shock as NZ won the League WC! How is it that we can win the world cup in a game we are not even very good at, and don't really care that much about, but we have been Rugby Union WC favourites every tournament for the last 20 years and still can't win the damn thing??

I am now starting to lose the hair that didn't fall out when I was pg. You can tell where I have been as I leave a trail of long dark hairs in my path. And don't get me started on the hair rats that are left in the pluf hole ............. grim!

Saying that, it's nice that it is starting to go as my hair is way too thick.

I've just weighed the fruit out for this years Christmas Cake and poured over a good slug of brandy. It's made me feel quite Christmasy

pluf?! plug