March 09 - there is no snooze button on a baby that needs milk.....!

[meep]

over here ladies

Thanks everyone for being supportive on the old bf/ff thing. I had a chat with dh last night and decided to keep going for a while with a view to swapping a daytime feed if I feel the need at any time. DH was telling me not to be putting the sleep issues down to breastfeeding so good to hear imput on this issue too.

L did actually do better last night - went to sleep about 7.45 and slept until 2. ONly woke herself up because she was farting so much !! That said, she was then only up half an hour instead of the usual 1- 1.5 hours. Awake again at about 5, got her to sleep about 6 and then she woke up again about 7. So all in all not too bad (hollow laugh at thinking thats not too bad). I am paranoid about the 5am waking thing though as I have a couple of friends whose children wake every day at 5 and then are up for the day so am v. anxious to get L back to sleep after that in case she gets any ideas . I'm quite lucky in that I can get back to sleep pretty quickly so can grab an hour or so after that.

Corgi - if babies are put in a harness for hips they are in it 24/7 but as I said, doesn't seem to bother them. The main problem in bathing and nappy changing I think. BUt fingers crossed it won't be an issue for you.

Fearless - L does that chomping and twisting thing too. Pleasant isn't it ?

Right, off to ballet (no not me in a tutu ).

Fearless Maybe teething? The old clamping business. FB is at it at the moment (fist constantly jammed in mouth) but I noticed today he was really biting down hard on the bottle teet - I was thanking my lucky stars it wasn't my nipple!

Hi ladies

Haven't posted on here for so long, sorry, but i've been lurking a lot! Problem is, by the time i've read up on everyone's news i run out of time to post anything myself. Also i'm afraid to say that i have managed to produce a really easy baby, to the extent that i pretty much have nothing to say about him except that he's gorgeous!

I'm BF-ing almost exclusively, though G does have the occasional bottle of formula if i'm at work (bar work at a wedding venue, desperate for money...). Had a pretty schizophrenic attitude to BF-ing up till now, in that i would love it one minute, then hate it the next. Now G has settled, however, it is much easier and i am really enjoying it, though a little concerned about how it's going to go when I'm back at work (proper work). I'm sure it'll work out though.

Mostly he sleeps from 11 till about 6, which i think is pretty good going. That's only been the last fortnight though, up till then he was up every 2 hours in the night, so i'm seriously hoping this new phase is going to last!! Few weeks ago i couldn't see the wood for the trees and was totally blaming the BF-ing for the lack of sleep, but it seems to have sorted itself out, so i think it's worth persisting.

George isn't reflux-y but he does tend to upchuck if he lies on his back for too long. For some reason it doesn't happen if he lies on his front, so we're sleeping him on his front all the tme now with GP's approval.

Jolly - i'm broody too, DH is cross! i think we might end up getting a puppy instead (no, really, i'm not joking...)

Is anyone else using washable nappies? I have just invested in some (with a local council grant towards them) and am awaiting their arrival with interest! Am haunting the cloth nappies thread on mn but it's a little bit scary over there...

Anyway, i will be trying to post more often now. It's so lovely to hear everyone's news, and hear how all these gorgeous babies are doing

x

Halo, everybody! I'm nwe to this thread, may I join in? Just want to say that this thread has been a lifesaver to an anxious first-time mom like me. It reads like a story, hey , maybe you should consider publishing! But it makes me breathe a sigh of relief that I'm (semi) normal, that others are going through more-or-less the same things. Thanks you so much!

A bit about myself and ds: He is now 3 months and one week old, my first child. i live in Scotland but I'm originally from South Africa. Si I miss my friends and parents a lot, although my brother and sis-in-law are close. i don't know any moms with babies in our town, although I'm starting to make an effort to meet up.
Ben is a lovely baby, he loves sleepng and was sleeping for long stretches since about week 3. He's been sleeping from 7-6:30 for the past two weeks, with a dream feed. His daytime naps are another story!! He used to have looong napsm and now they are rarely over 30-45 mins. I read the Baby Whisperer and was driving myself crazy trying to get him to nap according to the routine, and then, one day, I just realised I need to relax and enjoy him. Sometimes easier than other times!
He's suddenly started waking up the past few nights, re]avenous, I hope it's a growth spurt!
He's mixed bf and ff, although more of the latter lately.
I had a breast reduction when I was 19, and I think this might have infulenced my low milk supply, was crying a lot initially, but has since made peace with it. Too much pressure on us to be perfect!

Ellie, I'm a washable nappy user, although I'm only using them on Melissa if we've run out of disposables at the mo, and I only use them on DD1 if (a) they're washed and dried and (b) I can be arsed to use them . I probably won't use them full time on Melissa until DD1 is toilet trained (which isn't looking soon). I was a bit less slack before M was born though, so I'll happily try and answer any queries you might have

Feel awful today - last night was up again every 2-3 hours and have a stinking headache. I asked DP to take a day off work today. It's the first time I've asked (the tube strike was making his commute almost impossible anyway) but it means only looking after one at a time rather than two, which makes it a little easier. LOL Slick at a day with a new born and doing housework being considered a 'break'

Melissa's started squawking, so must end here...

Welcome Mdavza! Mdavza I read Gina Ford's Contented Little Baby book when Mae was born and to be honest I have paid no attention to it at all, with the exception that Mae feeds roughly 3 hourly. I think the people who write these books just want to make money out of the mothers guilt gene and to be honest we put ourselves through enough without anyone else.

EllieorOllie we already got a cat (well she was a kitten) when I was first broody before I talked DH round to having a baby. The cat is now 2 and thinks she is the boss of the house, so I don't think we could get a puppy!

Fearless the baby massage is good but Mae wouldn't stay awake, calm, not fidety enough to do more than one body part at a time. And I tend to only do them one body part at a time at home too. I have the sheets with the moves on photocopied and laminated on my changing table.

Ooh a shiny new thread!!

Been a busy time here, loads happened.
I am still bf L but I had a minor crisis the other day. I think it was 4 hours of sleep that did it.
She had a scan today because of a family history of clicky hips but all fine.
She had her first jabs last week which I hated, she seemed fine though and I have only had to give Calpol 3 times.
I have remodeled the girls room - they have new beds and bedroom furniture in readiness for L's cot to go in there when she reaches 6 months.
Busy times.
Off to catch up on thread now.

Quick update...

I just went up to George's room where he was supposed to be napping in his cot to discover that he had turned over from his front to his back.

He is 11 and a bit weeks. How is that possible? Admittedly he is off the scales for height and very very physical, but still... I can only think that he wriggled towards the bars and somehow used them to push off with his feet. No, i know that that makes no sense, but i have to explain it somehow! I was practically looking under the cot for some phantom intruder that had broken into the house with the express intention of rolling my baby.

Laumiere, was it you whose baby started rolling really early? It completely wierded me out!!

Already I have to wave goodbye to the days of leaving him on the sofa or bed while I make a cup of tea. Damn...

Ellie Do you know, it's funny you say that - I just watched FB start to roll when I laid him on floor tonight. I just stared at him in amazement and said - you're not meant to do that yet!!! But he was well on to his side and you can see it's just a matter of time and he is 13 weeks. So yeah, am now thinking there are fewer places I can leave him!!

Welcome Mdavza and welcome back all those popping back.

L too is half rolling (well onto side) - she has been for a few weeks now and now when you put her down she just rolls over onto her side quite quickly and easily. Its very exciting but yes, our change mat is currently on a trunk in our bedroom and I have got used to leaving her to pop into her bedroom to get clothes etc and yesterday realised I probably shouldn't. Eek ! They're not such little babies anymore .

ellie yes, was me. G is still rolling periodically, but more through accident than design.

no rolling in the meep household - in fact dd1 never rolled - just went to sitting up to bum shuffling to walking! So I'd better watch as any Rosie rolling would catch me unawares!

I have just had the best night ever - I went to bed at 9pm - dh fed Rosie around 11pm - and I woke up before her - even if she does this once a week I will be so grateful - it is just nice not to be woken for a change. Admittedly my waking up before her was at 3am, 4am, 6am then finally at 7am - my poor brain was all confused!

welcome to Mdavza! slick I find days with just a newborn a break - nver felt like that when it was just dd1 - funny how your perspective changes!

Oh and definitely NO broodiness in the meep household either - this is it - no more ! THough I did have a hankering after a very cute bluffy bunny that we saw at a garden centre at teh weekend - dh was horrified at the thought!

grinning our McArthur Glen is in Livingstone off the M8 so I don't think it is the same one as you - I have to ignore the Cadbury's shop!

ooh ooh ooh, had a great night for us last night ! Lara was desperate to go to sleep and fell asleep down stairs about 6 but I woke her about 630 but she was so sleepy I took her up and fed her (with dd1 jumping all over the bed - such a nice calming relaxed bedtime routine ) and put her down. She took a while to settle as I think she was just so overtired.

Anyway, at about 1030 I decided to give her a dreamfeed bottle which wasn't successful and she only took an ounce so was expecting not to sleep for very long. Anyway, she woke up at 4 and was only up for 30 minutes. Then woke again at 6 but hey ho you can't have everything. Wondering if there is a pin prink of light at the end of the tunnel (tries not to get hopes up).

Right off to watch my ebay stuff about to finish. I decided to start flogging maternity and baby clothes (nb. so no more babies in the wheely household but meep DD1 and I are working on DH for a bunny rabbit - there'll be no helping him once L gets the idea and its 3 against 1 ). I told DH anything I sell is going in to a Eurodisney fund but we might be taking our grandchildren at this rate as I have 10 items and sales totally £22 and £14 of that is on maternity top. Oh well, its quite fun to do .

Ellie

Robert been rolling over 3/4 of the way since he was 9wks, which i why we have put him into his cot as i was afraid he'd roll over and the moses basket would fall over.

I was so hoping he wouldn't roll this early as i know from my other 2 once they can move they will not stay still.

Aw, had one of those really nice days today, Gabriel has obligingly slept for 2 hour stretches (yay!) and sat in my lap and had a 10 minute 'conversation' with me

I can't get over all the smiles, gurgles and eye contact! DS1 never did it due to his disabilities so this is all new to me....

And NO MORE BABIES here! DH is already trying to explain this to his very large family!

Ooooh, my new nappies just arrived. Very exciting. Now i just have to wash them and then work out how on earth you put them on a baby...

George is now so mobile that i found him with his legs jammed through the bars of his cot this afternoon, having turned 90 degrees and moved across the mattress. Thankfully he doesn't seem to do it so much at night when he's all dozy.

Laumiere, the giggles and the cooing are so gorgeous aren't they? If I didn't have a million other things to do I would spend all day having chats with George! My DD didn't do much smiling and gurgling, but that was just because she was moody and hated being a baby...

DD (2.9) recognised her name written down today at nursery. I'm officially a very proud mummy

Mols has officially forgotten how to sleep through. Last night she woke up twice between 8 and 8. I know it's still not bad as sleep goes - but I wish she would just start a routine and stick with it. Her weight gain has also slowed down a lot so I seem to be spending all day with her on the boob trying to get more milk in her.

the NHS postntal group started up here this week - and I actually really enjoyed it. Was great to meet mums at the same stage in person.

ellie what brandof nappies are you using? We have bambino mio and honestly don't find it any more faff than disposables. To start with we used disposables when we went out but not any more - now we bag up premade nappies to take with us.

Hi there! Ds broke 2 records yesterday by napping two hour- long naps with no intervention! As I'm writing this I'm waiting to see what's going to happen today. This is now after about a month of me spending hours in his room trying to extend his naps by swaddling, patting, holding down etc. Don't know if it's helping or he's justnaturally growing into longer naps?!
Still waking up at odd hours to feed, so I'm real tired-yawn but I've never been a good daynapper myself.
And I started giving him a tiny bit of rice cereal, he just feels ready (and hungry!). I know this is controversial, but I've received the goahead from GP, nurse and gut. Last is most important.
How are the reusable nappies? Aren't you washing all day?
Laumier- I have a bit of a history with depression and have a lot of empathy with what you've been going through. Hope you are well!
Cheers!

mdavza We're on solids now here too :-) Gabriel's had apple, banana and carrots (apple and carrot win so far).

DS1's nursery fete went well, I stayed up to 2am last night having cool conversations with DH and then Gabe woke me up at 6am, so I had a nap. And a bee stung me on the sole of my foot . Luckily DH put some vinegar on it (I'm allergic to wasp stings so it was a bit nerve racking).

law hope Mols has sorted her sleeping out - it's a b*gger when they change their sleep patterns - they lull you into a false sense of secirity then play with you mind

We're on a good sleep run here - Rosie started the day at 6.15am - bliss!

My poor wee baby has her first dose of nappy rash. She had a couple of days of toxic poos - and her wee bum is red raw. We've been using Metanium and it has cleared a bit, but she was screaming yesterday evening when she did a wee (was on changing mat so got to see the cause and effect) - horrible to hear your baby in pain.

Dd1 has had slightly toxic poos too (dh was on duty for an "appalling" nappy change !) - so I reckon it is a bit of a bug going round.

meep a cotton wool pad dipped in chilled chamomile tea is really soothing on their poor bums when your clean them, much nicer than baby wipes!

thanks laumiere - I have plenty chamomile tea for her gunky eye as per slick's advice so I will use that. It is still red raw and she is still screaming at nappy changes - horrid

Eeek nappy rash sounds nasty. Not had that yet, although we did use the cream on her neck as she seemed to have managed to get a very pink area (presumably where it was moist in her folds of fat) which had started to smell and was clearly aggravating her.