June 08 - New Year same old sleepless nights

[hedgehog1979]

Bit bored so thought I would start the new thread

5GoMad, obviously I don't have older kids myself but my sis has three and she is 'the oracle' in my opinion on child-rearing! What exactly is Edie doing, how old is she, what is her daytime routine like? Perhaps I could suggest something or ask my sis.

HH, they have an Oatibix between them at the mo but my sis said her DD moved onto having a whole one quite quick. I think they prob would eat more than one between them. I'd try it, at least they are cheap so not much waste.

Well DH got up this morning and did the whole morning routine (nappies, breakfast and back to bed for a nap) so I got up at 11.20am to find the DTs fed, watered and back in bed. I did have to get up at 7am to feed E and then fed T at 9am before his breakfast but to be fair DH couldn't do that! So I spent pretty much 12 hours in bed . Bliss. DH has done nothing else all morning tho - the kitchen is a mess and he is watching Liverpool FCTV

And I am going on a night out tonight with my three sisters and my mum so at this rate I might not have to do much baby stuff at all today!

Hi All

So much to read, so just posting quickly!

Amberc I hope you can come to a decision about work, it is really hard when you first go back, but it does get easier. I think the others are right you should probably try it for a while and see how you get on, it is easy to leave but not so easier to say you want your job back a year down the line.
I used to keep Hamish up later, when I fist went back to work, that way he slept longer in the morning and gave me a chance to have a shower etc before he woke up.
It is not an easier choice to make, I work part-time so I feel I have to best of both worlds but sometimes I feel that means I can't give my all to either my job or the kids, but that's motherhood I guess!
Good luck coming to a decision, I try and think what will give me the most satisfaction when I'm 90 if I'm having a hard time making a decision, if that helps any!!

Essie Don't worry about what people say, who give a damn. I give Mia bits of toast and fruit, so she is partly blw . You have done so well bf, I freaked out when Mia kept dropping through the centiles and gave her formula (there were other reasons as well as you know) but it made b*er all difference, she is a very bright wee thing and has 6 teeth and is crawling well at 7 months, so I don't think she has been lacking anything she is just not a big eater. I think I is just the same and you could shovel food at him as fast ass you like and he will still not gain anymore weight. You are doing a fantastic job and have given I the best start in life, so don't beat yourself up about blw, who knows in a few years they'll be new research and we can all feel guilty about that as well!!

whinegums Laura BDQHow are you, do you fancy arranging another meet-up soon, or we could grab a coffee after waterbabies one week.

NEenz that would be lovely thank you so much. Going to bed is no problem, she has a bath, milk, watches cbeebies and then in bed at about 7.30 and I read to her and then she has story books on ipod. Sometimes she wakes twice sometimes just once, doesn't cry is just awake and wants company now, last night was better, she woke at 3.30 and DH put her back to bed, she got up again a bit later but every time the door twitched he said bed and she did so we are going with that tonight. We are going the reward chart route and she has got a star on it for getting dressed but because that is very now and shortterm she understands that, just not the staying in bed bit, but we will kepp on going. It has all stemmed from being ill before Christmas although over Christmas she was fine.

Thanks Katyjo, I am going to go back and see what happens. Luke is so lovely at the moment I get upset just thinking about it though. He is constantly talking away (he is always doing da da da da or bla bla!) and has become very affectionate bless him.

Re views - I bet mine is best. We have a giant building site in front of our balcony - they are working so slowly that what was our view of a load of mounds of earth a few months ago is still a load of mounds of earth now - just in different places. I'm sure they have just been employed to move it around so it looks like stuff is happening! The view will be lovely in 2012 when it is supposed to be finished - hmmm....

Glad everyone's baby is eating well (apart from mine of course ). Still he seems to have done everything late compared to others on the thread so I'm sure he will get there and must stop stressing about it.

at your view amber. Bet it will be good in 2012 though.

Katyjo, glad to see you back, was wondering if you were ok when we didn't see you at Waterbabies this week.

Yes, I am defo up for another meet up - BDQ and Laura too?

Hi guys, haven't completely caught up but thanks for the support with the bottle battle. So far, Charlotte is definitely winning . I'm doing tought love at the moment, she's not BF since 1130 and is refusing the bottle again, so she's going to have to wait. my brain hurts from the crying.

katyjo whinegums and BDQ would be keen for another meetup am back to work on 4th Feb so before then if possible, otherwise on a tues or Friday! shall we organise via email - I'm struggling to read all the posts but will manage to get to email!

x to everyone else sorry for self-centred post.

quick post to mark my spot glasvegas hope you're winning hte battle of the bottle.

5gomad -thats awful re the cows.. and will get you a load when i am in gap but prob not til thursday.

hello to everyone else - amberc I do sympathise re work.. i am stressing too but I think it must be a bit like having a baby - I worried it would be end of life as we know it etc (not helped by some of my well meaning friends).. yes it is very tough but doesn't mean I don't have some semblance of my own life at times. -katyjo what you said sounds really sensible.

took edie swimming again this morning -she definitely enjoyed it more (except for last 5 minutes.. seems to ahve taken against being dipped by the teacher as kept bursting into tears when picked up by her and giving her evil looks.. it was funny -mainly as I think she is going to have the exact same problem as her mum in not being able to hide her emotions by the look on her face)..

Given up - resorted to Medised, if she can sleep through without getting up then I can give her a star so she might start to get the idea.

Essie, Upsidedowncakes - have only just read the posts from Friday and just wanted to say I think Jamie and I are in a very similar position to you. He still isn't really eating, we get a little yoghurt ( think little star not rachel's yoghurt size) a day into him if we are lucky, and he may suck on a banana if the mood takes him but that is it. Given that he was eating an ice-cube or two per meal a couple of weeks ago we know he can eat if he wants too, he just deosn't want to. It is really stressful but I do think that they will get there eventually...

By the way, I don't really care about the whole blw/puree debate. Its your choice for your child, its mine for my child. I think it is interesting to hear what others are doing but I don't find it upsetting. Then again, Jamie isn't really eating either way so I wouldn't know who to be annoyed with! Right, off to read the rest of the thread but had to post now so I wouldn't forget by the time I got to the end.

Just marking my spot - Glaggow gals a meetup would be good but unless you all fancy a cheeky wee day trip to Edinburgh, I wont be able to do Tue or Fri . DH has S on a Tuesday as its my study day, and we have baby sensory on Fri mornings.

Laura dont know if I mentioned it before, but I love your new-ish name!

Thanks Neenz re food - its interesting to hear what others are doing. I freeze purees in pots more than ice cube trays, but I'll keep increasing the amounts at a steady pace. Interesting that you give a bigger meal at night - I've been giving a bigger meal at lunch. After lunch its a good couple of hours till his next feed, but its not too long after tea till he gets his bedtime milk and I dont want to put him off that. We're having some success in getting him to stay awake a bit later now though, which may be why he's slept well the last couple of nights. Fingers crossed it continues.

Sorry not to reply/comment to anyone else - have unexpected visitors tomorrow so doing a mad tidy up!

5gomad - if the stars don't work go for a more tangible reward - you'll know what works best for her, stars may not feel special enough iykwim and she's probably too young to understand about collecting stars for a specific treat. You mastered the potty training you'll get through this.

5gomad, this happend to us when we moved house.

Im affraid I did the tough love approach, take to bed be nice etc 1st time....tuck back in....if got back out....no no its still bedtime....then get to just NO....then if she still got up no speaking just putting quietly back to bed so there was no attention, 2 nights of this and it was over with....you need will or IRON though.

If she was good I then would say you were good last night what will we do as a treat a jigsaw or a picture etc.

Good luck its hellish when they have a will of stone at that age.

Evening everyone else. Had lovely day with my VBF since i was 3 today with her kids...I dont get to see her very often it was lovely
of her to travel to see me.

Hi all, having a minor stress out here because I'm packing to go to Wales, and it all feels sort of final. Just a combination of having been in London for over a month, getting into a little routine here, going back to Wales, back to work, Iestyn to nursery. So feeling a little bit sad.

Big news from Tooting Bec - my frenemy has now had her baby! Her waters broke on Wednesday morning (ironically when my mate Paula and I were in a coffee shop bitching discussing various things including her). Then on Thursday she went in to hospital, things took to long, and she was given a c-section. Paula had a bet with me that it would be a c-section. I lost the bet that the baby would be 8lb 7 - she's 7.11. ( at 3 weeks premature!! Iestyn was 6lb overdue!!) Paula saw her husband at the flower stall so she was the first to get the news. But she didn't dare ask about bfing... I'm so naughty, but I'm off to church in the morning.

EssieGoesBad has left the building.

Viva I feel your pain. Still nothing doing with bottles here either. Iestyn cries with his mouth clamped shut if he spies a bottle nearby. (No funny emoticons because it's TRUE!) We're leaving it to the nursery. They can do that as well as get him to eat roast dinners and put on 1lb per week, or I won't pay.

5GoMad any joy? No help or advice, I'm afraid, but lots of sympathy. I can't imagine what I'd do - it's not a case for punishment (eg naughty step - I'm not very mean really!), but then again it's not something you can just ignore either. It's also very odd too. Poor Edie, she must be tired as well.

Iestyn fed every 3 hours last night, and threw up his banana rice supper tonight. No idea why, but it will be a while before I eat banana again. It was horrible. I can't deal very well with it.

Viva just re-read your post [desperate face] and realised that C managed 5 hours refusing the bottle. Oh, God, I have this to come.
Please, please if you're lurking just let me know how it panned out? Or e-mail me sara.e.roberts @ bangor.ac.uk

Thanks!

Good morning all,

essie at Iestyn still not taking a bottle. Must be difficult for you with so much going on at the moment. How long will you be back in Wales for before you head back to London?
5go No advice, just sympathy here. Will Edie sleep during the day at all?
Isaac is sat here in his highchair throwing eating weetabix. Any tips on how to get it out of the carpet?
Have got a visit from MIL to look forward to this morning, DH is at work having a bollocking team meeting as his team are really underperforming and that means no bonus for him, which we really could do with as we are thinking about next stage car seats while they are in the sale, as well as next size gro bags and next size nappies...the list just seems never ending

Hi Essie, It wasn't 5 hours refusing a bottle, it was five hours from her last BF. we managed about 1.5 hours trying to get her to take EBM from a bottle before I cracked. Pete is trying her again this morning... have been given hope by SIL though, as apparently their daughter was the same, and the nursery sorted her out as soon as she started there. (fingers crossed emoticon). Let me know how you get on I'll be thinking of you and Iestyn as our battle continues!

I'm finding it very wearing at the moment, and feel a bit like it's ruining our last few weeks together before I have to go back to work.

HH cunning pan on the sale, hadn't even thought about the car seat thing. must have a look...

5GoMad, I think what Josey said is very sensible and is prob what my sis would do. Can you put a gate on her door so she can't get out? What about having a light in her room that comes on at 7am or whatever - tell her she must stay in her room until the light comes on? Then a reward might be work better cos she can more clearly link the light coming on with the reward.

We stayed at my mum's last night and after the traumas of Christmas where they DTs kept waking up, waking each other and getting into bed with us, last night I put them in separate rooms and let them cry themselves to sleep . It took them about 30-45 mins to drop off but then Esther slept till 5am, I fed her then she slelt till 9am, and Theo slept all night (about 8pm to 9am!). I think trying to feed them/rock them to sleep over Christmas (cos we were away from home) just encouraged them to wake/feed all night and letting them drop off themselves last night meant they weren't disoriented when they woke so settled themselves back to sleep. Or maybe we just got lucky!

Essie and Vegas

Try not to stress so much, I was just the same with Tristan, we tried all different bottles and cups, when I returned to work he was 6 months old, and the CM spoon fed him what she needed to for the 1st few days then managed to get him to take a cup - he still wouldn't take one at home though for quite a while. Your babies won't associate nursery with bfeeding, the carers aren't so emotionally involved so it is easier.

I would stop trying, say to Nursery that you've tried everything and leave it at that.

Good Luck

I'm now the proud owner of the famed Ikea Antilop highchair. I like it because it is so much easier to clean than the one we were given but after having him in a 5 point harness in the last one he's all over the place!! Still haven't managed to get the tray off though -any tips, from what I've read it's brute force. Also - it's a bit late now but do orange purees stain them? Neenz?

OMG just seen that Ikea high chair on the internet - £9.78!!! Wow!! I think Orange purees stain almost everything.

If good old fashion Jif doesnt take orange out then Lemon Juice and some salt should do it.....you would think I was a domestic godess

Thanks of rall the help, we have been failry determined about getting her back in bed last night was better, she only woke up as ipod had stopped playing books so there is hope.

Ok challenge for you guys. I lost the plot somewhat with DH today and having had 9 weeks maternity leave with DD and just 8 days with DS I am goin away for two nights on my own, but where, doesn't have to be a spar and the cotswalds would be nice so I could meet up with a friend (male and gay)

deb Def brute force to remove the tray, have not done anything orange in it yet, but don't leave weetabix on it coz it sets like concrete Have you got the inflatable cushion that can go inside to help them sit?

neenz glad you had a good night and DT's were better for you.

5go No ideas about somewhere nice to go in the Cotswolds - depends what you want to do

DH has just left to go back to work, so Isaac and I shall have a jacket potato with beans and tuna for tea (I shall have the potato and he will sit on my lap at the table and he will help himself to what he wants}