May 2009 - loved-up new mums and/or sleep-deprived zombies this way please

[pulapula]

Here's a nice new thread for us to share our experiences with our new LOs.

Thank you all for your wonderful messages. I cried when I read them. I am so happy to hear that I am not alone, and also how great your LO's seem to be doing. There is light at the end of the tunnel!

Sara will be 4 weeks tomorrow so I am hoping that in a few days/weeks time things will settle into place. I spoke to the HV and she also said it is normal. However, they are going to call me everyday and visit me twice next week. I hope this is normal and there is not something she is not telling me.

Also, good and bad news. The bad news is Sara has thrush in her mouth and I also have it in my breasts. I did not really notice it but I did notice something was just different. We are thinking this is why Sara has been unsettled the last few days as she is using me as a dummy for comfort but then ending up in pain herself. The good news is, that even though I wish this were not the case, we can do something about it and it may mean that once we are all clear both Sara and I can start to feel better.

The HV was so sweet and she is actually going to talk to the GP, fill my prescriptions and drop them off to me later today so I don't have to go myself which is a huge help.

I have tried a bottle of expressed milk but Sara won't take bottles. I don't know why but she just won't. She won't take a dummy either and I have been trying both for the last 4 weeks so I know it is not just the thrush. HV said this was prob for the best at the moment until the thrush clears up anyway so we don't contaminate other things, which I can see the sense in. So I will wait to try again with those things. I know DH would love to be able to do more, and believe me I would love to let him!

DD is sooooo demanding and such a live wire that when DH gets home, he always takes over but she comes into my room and screams and there is nooooo way I can sleep. He does take her out sometimes but 9 out of 10 Sara wakes just as he leaves. He is such a huge help though. He plays with DD from the moment he gets in, baths her everynight, cleans all the toys and the house and puts her to bed. All I have to do is make dinner and deal with Sara.

I agree with Fi...I always reach my breaking point when I am desperate for my bed but can't sleep until I get Sara down for the night. I really don't mind getting up with Sara in the night at all...I just want to say 'I am going to bed at 9pm' and actually be able to.

Sorry for another long post...

to all tired mums with new babes: shall we call an amnesty on name-checking? if you don't name check, don't worry - no one has the time to remember/check/reply to what each of us has posted. if you can, that's great and if you've realised you missed someone on the list, don't worry, we all understand .

what do you think?

Hear hear momino

I do read everything (when I can) and I think of everyone always.

emmabsmom, warning: dull tax info post.

here is the link to American Citizen Services (not sure if it will work) which has more information about taxes and FAQs etc. i only found out we had to file when I applied for DH's green card a few years ago. but they're understanding about this and only made me file for the previous 4 years.

Don't worry about this now!! look into it when you've settled down, S is older, etc. I can send you the link again later.

Hey, the link worked and [proud IT moment]!

but, i stress again ebsmom, don't worry about this now. i just posted it so i could learn a new MN trick (how dull i am).

now, must take advantage of H naptime to do something constructive like eat a magnum.

EbsMom sending some hugs your way. No more advice to impart because it's already been done !

Scary moment for me this morning. Went to Musicbugs this morning with DD2 and DS, and was waiting at Traffic Lights on a roundabout, light went green, I didn't immediately move because was faffing with DD2 then a 40 tonne truck sailed through his red light and past my bumper. I reckon if I had gone when the light went green we would all be dead. It's sending shivers down my spine thinking about it. It was literally 2cms off my bumper. Shiver (again).

My LO is also getting more settled at 5.5 weeks. He's 12lb 12 so I think weight and age is helping him be more predictable. It also helps that I am finally starting to pick up some of his signals, but I am particularly crap at that !

Monimo totally agree with the name checking amnesty.

momino on name check amnesty

emmab about thrush but as you say at least you know why s has been so un-settled. re bottles have you tried another brand? ds hated avent ones but loved tommee tippee closer to nature..

tummum very scary

I knew I would jinx things by saying S has been more settled. Just spent an hour and a half trying to help him get to sleep as i knew he was tired, but he just wouldn't sleep more than 10 mins . He's finally asleep on my chest but now don't know whether to transfer him and risk waking him or stay trapped on the sofa...will give it 10 mins and decide...

Fi I have only tried tommee tippee ones but the HV did mention Dr. whatever ones. I will probably try again once the thrush clears up.

Sara is finally asleep in her cot and DD is in her room. I had a small tv in the closet that used to be in me and DH's room. I broke my golden 'no tv in the bedroom' rule and put it in DD's room. She is now watching Mickey Mouse in there and for once I am sitting on my own with no kids touching me. I can always cut back on tv time once I feel sane again right?

28 min until DH is home. Who is counting?

pula oh sorry! I know how you feel but I have been assured it will get better so send those words on to you too!

Momino good idea re name check amnesty I usually manage to read every day but not always time to post. I do think of everyone though.

emmab about thrush and feeling down. Great that your DH is so helpful though. On a couple of occasions when I'm at my wits end I've asked DH to take on more night duties - I'm bf-ing but asked him to basically just pass H to me for feeding and let him worry about changing/re-settling. He isn't very good at settling though.... well, he can do it if told what to do, but he loves to play with H and needs reminding that wiggling his arms & legs etc is not going to get him off to sleep!

emmabemmasmom- i think our tv is permanently on . I feel bad about the amount of cbeebies being watched sometimes but needs must sometimes. They older DCs do get 2 or 3 days at nursery and get taken out by GPs etc so its not every day [pula frantically trying to justify letting DCs watch cbeebies whilst she BF/ sits on the sofa with LO]

I use the Dr Browns bottles and have done with all 3 DCs- never needed to try any others as they took to them straightaway.

S is now attached to my breast again, therefore still on the sofa!

Emmab Cbeebies are very responsible childminders. They are well behaved, educational and best of all there are no adverts for Lelli Bloody Kellies and other crud.

Totally agree Jennster

PS Aren't Lelli Kellies vile? 45 quid for a pair of sparkly trainers with "free" make-up for a 2 year old. WTF?!!

Are any of you into knitting? My mum wants to knit some things for H but hasn't done any knitting for years & years and doesnt know where to find decent patterns. Does anyone have an idea where we can look?

Emmab I love cbeebies and would go insane without it. I'd like to think I'll cut back DDs telly intake when R is more settled into a routine but I probably won't
I love that you count down the mintues until DH gets home I sooooo do that too.(1hr and 35mins)

We went to toddlers this morning and then to one of the mums for lunch DD fell asleep for 2 mins just before we got home but since getting home she hasn't had a nap despite being in her cot with me outside the door saying 'lie down' in a stern mummy voice. Now I need to get to the supermarket and R is sound asleep, DD hasn't slept at all so will be a nightmare and I have a work friend (childless) coming to visit in an hour or so. Oh god.

grrr just lost my post..

really hate those lelli ads and don't like the shoes either.

i have loads of links for free knitting patterns on laptop.. will do my best to get on there and post them tonight. you can join www.ravelry.com too it's free to join and like a MN for the knitting and crochet nut their library has lots of patterns free and to buy.. usually the waiting list to join is just a few days..

have been making cup cakes with ds while g asleep.. she's just woken and feeding and i've realised the buzzer for next batch is due to go off soon! will have to detach myself briefly i think..

when g woke up and started to cry ds was v funny.. he started pulling at his t-shirt saying g is hungry mummy.. needs more boob now.. hurry mummy more boob now!

hello everyone, have finally made it to the other side! Have spent a couple of days catching up on a few pages of this thread and as always it's nice to know I'm not alone in how I'm feeling (swinging between ecstatic and weepy) and what I'm thinking (very little as I have mush brain)!!

momino, great idea re name checking, completely agree ('cause I'm pants at it anyway!)

Am a stranger to CBeebies but am sure have it all to come...

Fi, at your ds, bless him.

Smug new mum moment [imagine appropriate emoticon]: Felix had his 10 day weigh in today. At day 7 he was 8lbs 8oz; half an ounce more than his birthweight and today he's 8lbs 11oz. I feel so proud that I'm just breastfeeding and he hasn't lost weight but is gaining well. My mw is really pleased too.

Not sure it makes up for the fact that my episiotomy wound has 'completely broken down' and my internal stitches are visible from outer space!! Still, it isn't infected and it should heal in 6 weeks...

One day I will post my birth story but it's a very average one - not too long, short, traumatic, funny... I prob need to write it down so I can remember it myself in future!

hope everyone's ok, sorry about the 'me' post but wanted to at least write something on this thread!!

Good afternoon. Agree completely with namechecking! Well said.

Momino, which York cinema does the Big Scream? If it's at my side of York, I might be interested in going (am at the Leeds side).

On a completely non baby related note. Which bit of "I really like my hair this length, so please only take the very ends off and also it doesn't need thinning out as much as you usually do" is not clear. My hairdresser has scalped me - again!! I shouldn't complain as she's the best hairdresser I've ever had and as she knew that my last cut needed to last 10 weeks she was able to cut it so it did. Am in dilemma whether to be angry or not!!

Momino - I know C used to go to the Big Scream but I've not come across it "down south". Will have to investigate further though I think!

I've had a lovely day as I've met up with another MNer that I know from our ttc thread. She came over with her 2yo DD and 4mo DS

DS was v unsociable and slept most of the time in his sling! I'd actually been a bit worried as he wasn't settling at all this morning like he normally does but he obviously knew to hold off on his sleep as he dropped off 5 mins before they arrived!

my cake/sweet craving is getting worse. Harper and I have just returned from sainsbury's with a tub of caramel shortcake bites and fig bars (at the latter). I suppose the fig bars were my attempt at making the shopping trip slightly nutritious - the fig part . I've had 4 caramel shortcakes with my tea before picking up DD1&2 from nursery .

should I wonder why I cant/won't get rid of this jelly belly?

Gert, it's the City Screen in the centre. I have no sense of direction but assume you'd come in the a64 way then Tadcaster Rd. There is a really cheap car park by my house and we're just outside the city walls (so 10 min walk into town approx). If you ever want to go, let me know and we could meet and walk in together. Public Enemies with Johnny Depp in on Wed 1st Jul 11am and I plan to go if anyone would like to join (am a big Johnny Depp fan. sigh).

tummum, how frightening for you... try not to think about it anymore. 'What if' will drive you mad and keep you awake at night.

cbeebies - I'm a big fan as well .

off to get the other 2 dd's. hope everyone is well/getting better/as good as ever/never been better.... delete as appropriate.