Sept 08: We'll soon be weaning, and of a full nights sleep we're dreaming ......

[ILikeToMoveItMoveIt]

Hello ladies.

Pull up a chair, grab a biscuit and lets start talking about puree vs blw and sleep deprivation

I finally got to see M roll (normally only done in the presence of DD1 or alone!!)

Still no rolling over here. But very adept foot grabbing and rolling from side to side. He's also learnt how to put a spoon in his mouth.

I woke up at 5am as I could hear A was awake and playing. I looked into his cot and saw he was switching the night light on his baby monitor on and off! So funny!! Got to find a new place for that now.

My little brothers are here for half term and A loves watching them.

Hello ladies!

I've been away in Spain for two weeks, but got back late on Sunday.

I'm happy to report that shingles are gone (just some minor scarring left, which I'm treating with rose hip oil), and that all the love and attention from the extended Spanish family were a godsend with Diego. I missed the big snow here, but got some in the north of Spain. Then I travelled to Madrid (to visit additional aunts, great aunts and cousins with their respective sprogs), where the weather was bright and sunny, and people were having coffee and reading the papers in cafe terraces for the first time this year. Madrid looked incredibly beautiful this winter.

Unfortunately, after the late arrival on Sunday and a very bumpy night, Diego turned into monster child yesterday and went from super contented to grouchy/screaming/demanding baby. He would not be put down, he could not abide having me out of his sight (hard to unpack, put on washing machine, etc) and napped for about 10 minutes three times before waking up crying. I put it down to his sleep being disturbed by travelling, and then being over tired for the whole of the next day. To make up for it, today he slept from 11pm to 5:30 am. Good, no?

Eandz, I've been reading but not posting, and I've followed Noah's condition. I am so glad that things are improving re: medical attention. I cannot believe the amount of hoops you two have had to go through.

I was not planning on weaning till 23 weeks (that's the magic number, right?), and I'm terrified to realise that I know nothing about it. I like the sound of combining baby puree and finger food, but I think I need to read up on things. The sound of a weaning workshop (somebody mentioned going to one) sounded good. Who organises them?

Have a good day, everyone. Diego is currently screaming his head off in his cot. He is dead tired and rubbing his eyes, and incapable of falling asleep, so I better go try and settle him... What does one do when they are so adamant and upset, yet you know perfectly well they need to sleep?

pacita 26 weeks is the magic week so you've got a bit of time if you're going to hold out till then. And if you get an answer to the settling an overtired baby question share it with us all!

meglet I did it, i phoned the surgery and have an appointment for next Thurs for my 1st ever smear test. Why is it that i've given birth twice yet this is more scary?!?

had a good morning with hopefully lollyheart and meglet even if the soft play place was a bit crazy due to half term.

Also made an appointment for ds2 to see the doc tonight as he's still full of the cold and is very wheezy.

hi ladies, I've had els weighed again today, hes now 11lb. HV also did length and head, and all were at the same point on the chart, so says not to worry about his weight. also said that when it comes to weaning should go with high fat foods, such as cream cheese, custurd etc.
els has made no effort to get to his feet yet, however when i point them out to him he does shout at them

Barnpot, Avocado and banana are excellent high fat foods and are sterile, portable and require no cooking. (avocado is actually higher in calories than full fat milk).

Natures perfect fast food for babies, just get soft ones and mush for spoon feeding,or give as soft lumps for finger food.

snowlight do you ever go to the bumps n babes? I'm going to go tomorrow and ask to be put into a coffee group soon I guess.

Back from the insanely busy soft play, where we had a really nice time with Meglet Lollyheart and Debi. Despite Meglet's DD only cheering up once she was put in her snow suit and realised she was finally getting away from us!
Naturally, I was the last to arrive, despite the fact that all of the others have at least 2 DC...

T's feeding/mood has been a little bit better today - he was still fussy this morning, but was grinning lots at everyone at the soft play place, and fed really really well (strangely, since there was absolutely loads going on and it was so noisy!) Long may it continue.

Jenbot I host some

I'm going to the baby lounge tomorrow morning.

Meglet hope everything is fine and thanks for reminding me that I have to make yet another appointment for my smear as i keep forgetting to turn up.

Lolly I too had breasts like rocks when Robyn had her phase of sleeping through, it does quite quickly settle down or you could wake earlier and express some.

Robyn and dp are having a shouting contest atm. Robyn is winning.
She is also very chewy and dribbly, I am changing her 2 or 3 times a day so tht she doesn't get too wet and having to put barrier cream on her neck and chest. Think it is definitely teething, she enjoyed sucking a piece of cold potato last night and we have had to get out the bonjela again. Wish i had realised a couple of days ago. Saturday night she woke up almost every hour. Bonjela is now by our bed in case she does that again.

I did not know that Starlight I've got a few nannas in which need eating, so will start mashing them in with this baby rice.
and guess who's asleep in his cot for the first time ever??? he went down at 8pm it may not last long, but i'm holding onto the fact that he did it. He cried for about 15 mins but I was with him, and it wasn't a distress scream.
I've got out She who must not be named book out, and I must say a lot of the things she says is common sense but I don't agree with a lot of the thing she says about bed sharing, recent research shows that it is much safer for the mother to share her bed with her baby for the first 6 month and it actually reduces the risk of coth death, I have looked into it in great depth before I was happy with Els sharing my bed.
The only thing I'm not sure of is when he wakes, what should I do, Should I hold firm, feed him and put him back into his cot. or should I break him in gently and put him back into my bed for the night, woud give the wrong message, and confuse him. I really should have thought about this earlier

Barnpot I don't think you'll get a uniform answer to your questions. Personally I think babies are far to young for 'messages' so you may as well do whatever is easier for you at the time.

Barnpot your baby is unique (as is everyone's) and I totally agree with Snowlight - do what works for you and makes you and LO happy. If you want to get DS into his cot then you will have to persevere at some point but why not take DS's lead and leave it till he's older if he's too upset.
As snowlight used to be so fond of saying, he won't be co-sleeping when he's 18!!

I'm babling today - think it's cos I'm realising that whilst I know nothing really, I do know C a bit and have learnt to trust her and let her lead. She has no pre-conceived ideas and has read no books, so knows what her body tells her. This also has the bonus of removing a lot of pressure from me to be 'perfect mum' (ha!).

Oh and snowlight - saw your mn name in the Times on Saturday - you are now famous!!

hi guys, thanks for all the support.

lolly
is fraser still sleeping? (just express before and after you sleep?)

now what else is up ladies?

barnpot although we didn't bedshare, when we were trying to get T to sleep in the cot (rather than on us/in the pram etc), we basically just tried the cot at (almost) every nap and sleep time, and if he got remotely stressed, we went with the pram/sling. If he was overtired or anything we didn't even attempt the cot. After a week or two of this he was in the cot more often than in the pram/sling, and after about 4 weeks he only goes in the pram/sling if he's particularly stressed/over tired. It worked for us, as a kind of pain free method of getting him in the cot more without any kind of sleep training. He never seemed to 'learn' that if he fussed he got rocked to sleep in the pram. In fact, it made us more aware of when to put him down, as in order for him to settle nicely in the cot he has to be caught at the right time.

Yuck, you wouldn't believe the concrete blocks that are coming out of T's bottom since his jab - he's pooed much more than normal, but they've all been ridiculously solid. We've got suppositories from the doc!

Well he slept for all of half an hour I fed he and put him back in his cot, half asleep but he cried for 20 min and worked himself up, so now hes in DH sling shouting at the silver press stud, for some reason it winds him up??
I think he'll be back in my bed tonight. I wouldn't mind so much if he didn't use me as a dummy all night and when my niple falls out if its not replaced in time he wakes up and cries. hence I'm awake every half hour replacing my nipple.

Hopefully hope you said happy 5 month birthday to T today!!

I totally get what you mean about catching them for naps. With C, if I catch her daytime, she will go down in about 2 minutes in her cot ('catching her' means the second she changes from happy baby to quiet, thoughtful baby - we have about 30 secs before she starts to cry with over-tiredness). If I don't catch her, it means 5-10mins on my shoulder until she falls asleep. Luckily, she hasn't worked out that the shoulder option (for her) is the most snuggly! I have to say I sometimes do it anyway, as it's so lovely.

Hi

It was nice to meet up with debi hopefully and meglet, today, all our babies are so cute, i hope your ds nose was ok when you went meglet?

eandz Fraser went to bed at 7 last night but woke at 5 for a feed. if i was to express before and after then my boobs would not get the message is that right?

How is noah?

I'm in the times? I didn't know that. What an earth for?

You ladies are right I will build up the cot tollerance over time. thankd snowlight, oscars mum and hopefully

Oh FFS, what is the point? T went to bed at 9:30, after feeding for bloody ages, and he's up feeding again. I am so tired after appalling night last night, and doing stuff all day. Am pretty much weeping with tiredness.

Deep breath in Hopefully, then exhale .... It really can be one of the most frustrating things ever can't it? I hope you all got some sleep last night.

Sorry to hear your news Meglet, but it has been identified and dealt with - and that's a good thing. Wishing you much luck. I know you're a brave and strong lady because all you've been through with your partner and you are still smiling and bright in your messages here.

I was mentioning to dh how M has been feeding with focus and determination over the past couple of days (rather than windmilling his legs and arms around) and he said 'maybe he's having a growth spurt'. The colour drained from my face as I realised the next common time for a growth spurt is 6 months. Holy crap, not another one?! I don't think that's what it is at the moment, but it's probably only a few weeks away. aaaaarrrrggggghhhhhhh, it was only 5 mins since the 16 week one.

Thanks ILTMIMI. The night was fairly horrendous - T was up and down every 20-90 mins, and fed at least 2 hourly all night. soooo tired.
I am trying to remind myself he's still recovering from his jabs, probably trying to up my supply after not feeding properly for 3 days, and probably still has a tummy ache from being so constipated. I am telling myself this through gritted teeth though!