Fab Feb 2009: attack of the zombie mums

[dinkystinky]

So here we all are, complete with babies and gro-bags under our eyes

DD is 7 weeks today and we're still 3 - 4 hours between feeds. Longest she's done is 10.30pm to 3am.... and that was a one off. She's still little though - last weigh in a week and a half ago she was 8lbs. Hoping she might be up to 9lbs this week but she still also can't polish off more than 4oz at a time and that's not at every feed...

It's nice to go through all of this with everyone. I really did hit a low point yesterday and it feels like groundhog day every day. DS started to do a long stretch (maybe 5-6 weeks) around 7 weeks but I don't think DD is anywhere near......he did though weigh 2lbs more which would also probably account for it to an extent.

Good luck MOS....hats off to you - is it your older DD or DS you have ? Are they any help? (maybe not if it's the "egg boiler" DS )

Hi herby, DD1 is still in the UK but is coming out for 3 weeks at easter. However, she is as much use as a chocolate teapot. DS1 is normally very good (in fact is walking around holding DS2 now) so lets hope he is a huge help and the egg incident was a one off (apparently, his mitigating circumstances are that he got distracted by a phone call from a 'friend')

MOS ... dont worry you will be fine - try and get some treats in for you and DC's and treat it as 'your time' ok a bit difficults i know with three DC's but im going to do that next weekend when DH is off on stag weekend ... popcorn, dvds and takeaway curry (not in that order!).

Herb i know what you mean by groundhog day i havent even got Milo to go that long! hes definately around every three hours still. Silly thing is he is taking up to 5 ozs on some feeds and last time he was weighed nearly 10 days ago he was 10lbs so he must easily be 11 or thereabouts but sometimes he takes a feed across an hour or two - about two ounces at a time - talk about snacky baby! I cant wait till hes going 5 hours ... omg i cant imagine a whole 5 hours sleep!

Pempe - Danny is coming up to 5 weeks and he's still feeding every 3 hours (or in early evening every 2 hours). His big brother was too at that age but started stretching out his night feeds to 4 hour feeds at around 7 weeks (after the 6 week 2 hourly feeding spurt). I think Beantin and Nkweto are the only really lucky ones on this thread whose little ones are going regularly for longer stretches at nights (and who have owned up to it) so please dont worry about it. They will start sleeping longer stretches as their bellies grow and they take more to last them longer...

MoS - sending you be strong vibes (along with lots of virtual wine) to get you through the time without DH. Hope DD2 and DS2 will be little angels for you and let you get some sleep in while he's away.

Rosie - Danny fights the swaddle too to start off with (DS1 did too) but then relaxes into it. I find if I swaddle him when he's in that millk drunk phase after a feed he doesnt fight it and lies there v happily and even dozes off without being cuddled down on occasion (v infrequent occasion that is..) I hope Milo starts to settle soon for you guys. And great that your DH is being so great with night feeds

TBM - thanks for your support. Hope all is well with you and with everyone else here.

For me, co-sleeping is the only thing to do when you have a little one, esp if you have a very hungry little one! Having said that, it can get a bit crowded in the mornings, when ds1 joins us (from about 5am) and also the cat decides to come in as well. Luckily we have a massive superkingsize bed.

Stanley is still feeding loads - tends to crash out mid morning/early afternoon, but other than that is very alert and always peckish!

I have been taking salt baths to help heal the scar as well as taking the anti bs and finally gave in today and purchased the most minging pack of granny pants from a shop in Kentish Town frequented only by the over 65s.

They were a bargain - 3 for £3 - and I must say, extremely comfortable. They remind me of the sort of undergarments I wore as an eight year old - here's hoping I don't get run over as it would be extremely embarassing being cut out of these by the paramedics

Thanks everybody, it is good to know that we're not alone. We've just been for our afternoon walk, in an attempt to get him to sleep at least some of today. Also a chance for me to catch up with friends I haven't seen for ages and, very unlike him (normally, put him in the pram, bam he's asleep) he cried the whole way, and I've had to come back .

This board is so helpful for me, I don't know what I'd do without it. I don't mind doing the 2 hourly feeds, day and night, honestly I don't, as long as I know it's within the boards of 'normal', other people are going through the same thing (I'm not wishing this on people, you know what I mean) and we're not piggy freaks.

Lone you guys. sob.

I meant to say - MOS sending courage and strength your way.

And everybody - if you're up feeding in the middle of the night, get your a*s online so we can chat and go through the wee hours together.... I feed Harry in front of the computer and type one-handed. MN or Facebook.

Lordy. Within the bounds of normal. And I love you guys.

pempe- i held a baby girl yesterday 2 weeks younger than ours and was relieved to see she made all the same movements and noises as DS. I thought, phew he must be 'normal'.

Hmm Pempe im always on line in the middle of the night - its the only thing that keeps me awake although the active convos arent that exciting at around threeish!

Am v chuffed as Milos 'Snuza Halo' got here an hour ago and have been playing with it and finally clipped it to his nappy and its bloody brilliant! I know im paranoid but really wanted a mobile breathing monitor because the angelcare one only works when he is in his basinette (never ) and also i am sure its picking up on every small vibration as the green light seems to flash randomly even when sometimes he isnt in it. This one will work with him in between us, in the pram, car seat ect - i read moosemamas post on the Jan post natal club (24th feb) and im sure glad i have it as was worrying about the whole co sleeping and not breastfeeding scenario as was pointed out by TBM earlier - others who bf have mentioned this to me as well so feel alot better now tbh.

Dinky am a lucky laydee i think as am so much more tired than i was when i last did this and dunno how id manage without DH doing his bit - bless him hes doing the WHOLE night tonght yay so although ill stir and wake up a bit its still a lovely eve to look forward to ... now if i can just sort out a curry too

Oh and Dinky am glad Milo isnt the only moany one when he is swaddled although i agree with you when he is a little milk drunk and extra tired we get less moanyness out of him

just took DD and DS to park and some sweet little git/child said 'have you got another baby in your tummy' & diet starts tomorrow.
On the brightside, party last night was good and had real alcoholic cocktails!

pempe... trust me, every 3 hours is not very often at all for a bf baby. since 7.30am this morning aaron has had 7 feeds and has just started shouting for another

mslucy... sympathy on the crowded bed, my older 2 still come in in the mornings and 2 of the cats insist on finding spots on the duvet too..... we're buying a sk size mattress this month if i have to live on bread and water for the whole month to do so!

got to playschool earlier and dd was already on her way out the door with her bf to 'go have a sleepover in tasha's treehouse' she's not been dropped back yet so presumably she's behaving herself somewhat. aaron was wide awake at toddler group for the first time so was cuddled by everyone and has successfully made at least 3 women insanely broody

Pempe Luke wants to be fed sometimes every 3 hours, sometime 3.5 and sometimes 4+ but I do try to stretch it out to 4 hours but tat's mainly so I can plan things around the feeding and for ds1. 3 hourly is nothing to worry about though.
herb Sorry you had a bad day. Like you though, I'm so pleased I found this site and all you lovely ladies to help me through the bad days and down points, I didn't have this with ds1 and just sort of muddled along and it was tough.
Pempe We're normally feeding at around 3am ish so I either log on whilst feeding or just after while Luke falls asleep, if I do tonights feed (am hoping dp will do it), I'll say hi. I normally just read latest posts.
Luke's pee pee smells really strong! That's ok too though isn't it?
Luke was also awake for quite a while at playgroup so he got passed around to everyone. It's really nice there because there is a lady that has a 17 month old and a 3 month old, so we've had chats about how to cope and how tough it all is. She is really nice, lives not far away and ds and her dd seem to get along so might see about exchanging numbers and having coffee mornings or something.
I also signed up for mums of steel where you do the exercising stuff in the park with the pushchairs? That's every weds for 8 weeks, but my buggy is bigger than everyone elses!

I have an infected CS scar and I'm feeling very sorry for myself. I am tired beyond belief and aching, going hot and cold all the time.

DH is still on nights and DS is grizzly and is refusing to be put down today.

It's times lke this I think it would be nice if my mum still lived in England and wasn't so bloody far away.

MS Sorry your scar has become infected. Have they given you AB's for it? My dp's starting nights on tuesday for 2 weeks straight. I hate it too. x

Yes got anti-b's, and lots of icecream. DD and I are going to watch Comic Relief

of the ice-cream. We're also gonna watch a bit of CR, but I normally get a bit bored after an hour. Am looking forward to seeing Oasis on TOTP though.

Right, bedtime hour. Might be back later. x

Aw MS thats shite - sorry to hear that - did'nt know it could become infected so long after! Ive been thinking that im on the home straight now but obviously not - will still have to keep an eye on mine too! Mind you still bleeding a bit - didnt really expect that so long after but 5 weeks isnt that long really i suppose.

Hope you have a nice chilled evening and feel better soon x

ds's feeding behaviour varies but today he's been on and off me all day, though sometimes he sleeps for a while during the night. I'm hoping he'll put on weight well as a result and the hospital will stop bothering me - the health visitor on Tuesday seemed happpy enough. Haven't really been measuring the time between feeds recently, just putting him on whenever he wakes up or squawks, though I do put him down from time to time even if he squawks while I get little things done. He's just dozed off so I'm going to risk putting him down for a minute while I run to the bathroom, stretch etc.

I'm just trying to do things I can do while I feed - reading, radio, TV, going out to baby groups

I would have to come downstairs to get online - tend to watch strange TV programmes depending on time - sometimes old episodes of Shameless - we have some of last week's episodes available and an archive of older programmes including series 1-5 of Shameless through our TV provider.

Surprise surprise, Conor's demanding more food already. Hope his growth will reflect it