April 2005 babies!!!

[Gem1355]

Hi

Howz everyone doing?

Darcie is doing well but losing abit of weight after she put it on after inital weight loss but okay other than that.

would post a picture but don't know how!

I'm still up! My dd was 9lb 10oz @ 9 weeks. Getting her weighed tomorrow. She was on the 9th centile for her weight too at 8 weeks. She was 50 for head and 25 for length I think creates an odd image but I can assure you she's devine. She gave me loads of smiles today and I swear she chuckled and her shoulders went up and down. It made me cry. Hoping for another good night but I won't count my chickens. She's still really every 2/3 tbh but 1 day we'll crack it, i'm sure. Must go to bed but i'm just soooo hot, I can't be bothered.

reading that back, I really should go to bed!!! Feeds every 2/3 hours usually, even through the night.

Jack managed another good night - went from 10pm to 6am. Not sure how long it will continue for...

think i spoke too soon. Oh well never mind...

We bought Jack a Tummy Tub the other day. He loves it!!!

I have popped a piccie on members profiles. He looks so cute.

whats a tummy tub?

Kelly, here is a link to the site it's the best way to decribe it \link{http://tummytub.co.uk\

They are about £18 each, and only use a tiny amount of water.

umm, not sure what i did wrong....... obviously i cant follow instructions!!

...

bought my tummy tub shortly after I left hospital. DD loves it. She has become v. good at baby aerobics in it.

Those look great, I wish I had known about them earlier. The dts are nearly 4 months now, it's a bit late now. The link is is here if anyone else wants to check it out.

or rather here: tummmy tub here

it says it was originally designed for babies up to 6 mo. but they find that older babies like the security and familiarity of it too. read the Q&A on the site.

Flipping heck - thought I could cope with 2 feeds a night but we seem to have reverted to feeding every 2 hours at night in the last few days - aaaagghhh. Am hoping this is the hot weather and not a sign of things to come as I am dead on my feet. DS (2 3/4) is too full of beans by half and doesn't have a daytime nap anymore.

We're also in the petite camp. DD is now 14 weeks and weighs in at a grand total of 10lb 11oz. Does that beat everybody else in the small stakes?? We like to think she's small but perfectly formed (ha ha). Slowly moving onto bottles - up to 3 bottle feeds a day now so about halfway there - my boobs are busting by mid afternoon. But I'm a bit scared that once I give up completely I'll have lost my trump card for getting her to sleep at night if I need to.

Verso, I completely sympathise. DD won't (or very rarely) goes to sleep on her own. Have you tried a dummy? My DS had one for the first few months and it worked a treat. Unfortunately DD won't take it so we're stuck with jigging - especially at night!!

DD has been great the past 9 nights . Feeding 3 hourly during the day from about 6.30 am. Started a bbb routine last Weds (bath, boob and bed I call it) . So far, she's been asleep by 8pm though the last few nights she's gone off before 7.30 after doing pick up put down about 4 times. A couple of nights she's gone through til 4.30 am and a few at about 2ish then through til morning.

Today she fed on off from 2pm til 6, must be the weather and, for the 1st time, she's sleeping in her cotbed. Looks like she's been abandoned as she only takes up a 3rd of it and i've put her in a gro-bag for the 1st time too. She went off at 7 tonight after 1 pick up. Oh, I hope it continues. Watch this space. btw, she's now 10lb 11 and still on the 9th centile. And the hv said her lump in her groin was probably to do with the jabs as it works its way through.....still no appt through for the paed but i'm sure the hv is right.

How are you Verso, are you feeling any better? Hope so

I've tried a dummy, but she will only take it occasionally if at all. This doesn't bother me too much as at least she's not getting dependent on it.

We're plodding on. A couple of nights ago she did six hours in a row (!) so at least we know it's possible. I think she just needs to learn how to settle herself back to sleep when she stirs at the end of a sleep cycle (you can tell I've been reading, can't you? )

Feeling ok-ish... usually better at weekends because DH is here so I don't feel so lonely/fretful. The GP gave me some antidepressants last week, but I haven't started taking them yet as I have asked them to do a thyroid test first (it says in "What to expect the first year" that thyroid problems are common and can cause depression-like symptoms, so I thought it was worth checking).

I'm now worried that the GP will give me a hard time on Wednesday about not having started the AD's yet... but we will see.

Generally feeling a bit cheerier, but I think that's partly because my Mum was here for a few days and has now gone home . She was so awkward with DD she kept upsetting her any time I asked her to watch her, so I got even less sleep than normal!

Comments such as "you should switch to formula" (to my DH not me I might add), or (when it was 32 degrees outside last week "you should take her outside more in the sunshine. It's good to see babies nice and sunburned and tan" were not especially helpful!!!

Verso, I am admiring your courage in these difficult times. You are a hero in my book for persevering with the b/f thru all these difficulties. And I know that sleep deprivation is the killer. Every time I was really tired I cried at the drop of a hat. I began to combat it by sleeping with dd during the day and many times part of the night as it would guarantee sleep for both of us. Sleep training can come after other things fell into place I reckoned.

I know how hard it must be for you as my dh was working away all week in Scotland and was only home on the weekends. I have no family to help either and all my friends are friends I made thru work. (my mom is 7 timezones away and I have a supportive MIL but she lives 90 miles away and since she is not into b/f I found that peer support is better.)

Are you able to go and stay maybe 2 nights with a friend who already has children and can help you? I went away twice during the week (driving 2.5 hrs with a tiny baby that's how desperate I was for company) to stay with friends who if nothing else, could cook for me and reassure me that I was doing a good job. I bet you are too but you just can't see the woods for the trees sometimes. At times I also felt like I was cracking up and this just gave me enough respite to cope.

Yes I was also told by many to 'put her on the bottle' - she isn't yet, ha, ha. I was going for a long walk today with dd in a baby sling and was thinking that I wish that I could be nearer to you to give you some person to person support. (or would that be the blind leading the blind, lol.)

The last time I went away, my friend and I went to a cafe and sat next to some middle aged women. One turned out to be a midwife and my friend began to tell her how much I fret over dd. The m/w laughed and said 'I bet she has a BA with honours! I've seen her type before.' Well all I did was smile and blushed but that remark has been the most supportive thing I have heard in a long time and it has taught me to ease up on myself. I wish I could thank her now. So many people say relax and enjoy your baby but I didn't know how to start. the key seems to be that if you relax so will dd. it took a total stranger to hit the nail on the head to let me believe that I am doing a great job.

I feel like the same goes for you.

Alux - thank you, thank you, thank you for such a kind post. God, it really sounds like you know where I'm coming from.

Interesting that you suggest going away to stay with a friend with children. I've already discussed going to stay with my oldest friend in Scotland for a few days (she's v keen and also incredibly helpful - she has 2 children herself) but DH said, "you can't run away every time the weather gets hot you know" .

I have also been offered a stay slightly closer to home, with an Internet friend I made on an online antenatal group (?!). She's lovely - but she has a baby herself of almost identical age, and because I feel I don't 'really' know her I haven't taken her up on the offer.

DH finishes work this Thursday (he's a teacher) and I think things are going to change once he's on holiday [evil grin emoticon here]. There is NO WAY I'm carrying on doing everything!!

He's already started doing a little more at night, since I brought the AD's home. I think that made him realise this is serious.

I'm not looking forward to Thursday itself, though, as he is going out with colleagues to celebrate the end of year and won't be home until late. I'm thinking of booking a babysitter so that I can go to bed while he's out... at least that way I'd have a fighting chance of coping with the night shift!

He took DD for an hour and a half (reluctantly) yesterday afternoon, while I went for coffee with a friend. I'd fed her just before handing her over to him. Within about half an hour he was texting me in a panic, and by the time I'd got home he was already feeding her (expressed milk). sigh Does he ever wonder how I get through the day, if he can't even manage a couple of hours?!

Well - he's going to learn!

HI

Verso hope things pick up foru over the summer holidays.

Well Darcie has been okay, weighs in at 12lbs 10.5oz, is starting to get her co-ordiation by hitting and grabbing anythig within reach. Yesterday she was pulling the hair off her grandads arm, whilst out shopping, was funny!

She is teething quite badly so oping those front teeth will be coming through in the next week or so!
Other than that we r both doing okay.

I hope to be moving soon, just waiting for the paperwork to go through, then should be able o pick up the keys!

Verso: I'm at your dh for saying you can't run away every time the weather gets hot. How many times exactly HAVE you run away? You NEED a break! Go stay with a friend and leave him on his own if you need to! He will get over it! He has to! You brought those AD's home because of NOT having a break! Go stay with this woman from the group, even if for just during the day if you feel like you want to weigh up what she is like in her own space before you commit for an overnight! Go to Scotland! Even if it is after dh is on hols. And I will be at you if you don't book a sitter this week. I am forever grateful for several of my work colleagues who came over a few times in the evenings so that I could have a long bath and a sleep to give me some respite from dd.

Yes things have to change when he is on hols. CAT me if you wish. I have walked that road too!

Sorry for sounding so blunt and opinionated. I prefer to risk offending in the hope that I offer valuable (in my mind anyway) advice.

\link{http://spaces.msn.com/members/darcie1983/}

Hopefully this works its my photo album of Darcie

\link{http://spaces.msn.com/members/darcie1983}

try again !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

okay not sure wot i'm doing wrong

Verso i totally agree with Alux, u need a break take some time out!
If it comes to it leave Anneke with DH and go out for the afternoon, for coffee and lunch with a friend.

of course i mean go away WITH anneke and lv dh home alone. you need to be with a woman who speaks the same language. when you get home you'll feel rested and confident

Hi everyone

First time on this site, have been hooked to MN since DS was born on the 28th of April. Being a Mums great, but boy, isnt it the most all consuming, exhausting and sometimes heartbreaking job in the world. I am truly knocked out by the enormity of it all.

Little Jack has had horrendous colick for 6 wks but we have seen a Cranial Osteopath and she has worked her magic, (if I was that way inclined I could have married her I swear ) So every day he is getting better.

It's lovely to read this thread to sanity check a few things, and feel relief that the waking up in the night still etc is all normal. I hope your all well and dont mind me crashing the site at this late stage, it's taken me this long to have 5 minutes to myself