July 09 - Sore ladybits and melons for tits! [grin]

[Quiltedrose]

Ok so there's only 2 of us so far but felt duty bound as the first July delivery to start the thread off!

'Pop' in when you're ready!!

Well bloody hell - I've only been on holiday a week and I come back to poor Stephen Gately being dead and you lot weaning!
Had a smashing time - too much camembert so Hetty had some belting nappies
BTW I was apparently on the baby rice at 10 days old - when I asked Ma JetLi why she said "Because you were hungry, that's why"
I am in the "trying to hold out to 26 weeks" camp, although I'm curious as to what will magically happen on that date which is going to make it all OK Tis a tad sad that Hetty won't get Christmas dinner though if we make it.
Can't stop to catch up properly - shitloads of washing to be done - the child is in the sling and we're whizzing around

Welcome back starmucks

Glad your hols went well Jetli. I love cambebert....yummy.

Queenfee I wouldn't be about weaning. As I have posted, my 2 DC's were ready at different times and both before 26 weeks. They love food.

My grandmother keeps asking me of Tristan has cereal in his milk. Bless her. It must be hard for them to grasp that recommendations have changed. I keep telling her he is mainly bf so can't put cereal in that.

Hormonal change my hair has started falling out!! Big clumps of it. Yuck. Lydia I also less hungry. I am still eating more than I am used to but I am no longer ravenous.

Night feeds they are back. From 12 weeks Tristan was going from 11:30 - 5-7am and for the past few days he is waking again. He is 15 weeks so I hope it is just a growth spurt. I am shattered.

Apple re ff have you tried mixing ebm and formula? You can do this and maybe start with mainly ebm and add more and more formula so he gets used to the taste/consistency. Tristan had a couple of bottles of Aptimel during week 1-2 but since then he has had ebm. I am also thinking of adding a ff soon. I only express twice a day and have a stock in the freezer but want to have a standby.

Time to go. Need a nap while DH watches the DC's.

Got no nap.
Baby feeding every 2 hrs.......why why why

Hi all, sorry to start off this thread and then drop off the face of it....just don't seem to have had the time for ANY MN'ing at all! At least it's not just me, eh starmucks?

Can't believe that our little ones are 4 months or thereabouts - have just been browsing through the last few pages and at all the weaners..how's that happened so quickly then? Who's been pressing fast forward on the remote control of our lives!

Beattie is 18 weeks this week and has a tooth already (We used Ashton and Parsons powders) and is doing sort of almost ready to weany type things like staring and drooling when we eat, waking in the night again for a feed, despite me feeding her at 11pm before we go to sleep, chewing her hands...I'm thinking of trying baby led weaning this time around, is anyone going to give it a go or ? I sort of don't want it to happen yet, she's our second and last and I don't want my baaaaabbbyyy to grow so faaast

Absolutely over the moon to read woolyjo's news....still haven't forgotten.

Is anyone still breastfeeding? Starting to find it a bit of a struggle again now.

Largeglassofred congrats on the rolling - did you do anything to help it happen? Bea is still firmly planted on her back!

Anyway I will try to post a bit more often. I have had a quick shufty to see who's up to what from time to time but perhaps you would actually like to know who is being nosey taking an interest in your lives

Hello everyone, nice to hear from you again Quiltedrose. Life is pretty manic isn't it!

Well I have been feeling rough all week with a cold and am now on the mend, just totally knackered all the time at the moment. It almost seems to be worse now than when Max was tiny! He is still sleeping well, waking up once between 5 and 6 and then going back down for a short nap till about 8ish. its great on a school day as it gives me a chance to get the big 2 ready without him screaming!

He is showing the hungry signs though, really chewing his hands and watching us eat. he is 14 weeks now so will wait a few more weeks if possible.

Hope you are all ok, will post more later as need to go and put big kids to bed and then I can have a glass of wine!!

Hi everyone

I'm still having a nightmare with Summer, she is having regular calpol and teething gel etc and still the daily screaming so just don't know what to do. I am pretty sure there is nothing seriously wrong becuase inbetween the crying she laughs and is happy. She is also feeding fine and nappies are fine. I think she is grumpy with teething and maybe colic and just kicks off.

daytime sleeping How long do your LO's sleep in the day for?? I ask because I do think some of the time Summer is screaming becuase she is so tired. i read somwhere that a baby of about her age (17wks tomorrow) should sleep through and have an additional 3 hrs of naps through the day!! Summer nods of for 30 mins max sometimes 3 times a day and today just twice. I have tried putting her up in her cot in the peace and quiet but she sleeps no longer.

weening was day 3 yesterday of baby rice, she has started shortening the length between her feed going from every 3 - 3nhalf hrs to 2 n half hrs. She has also doubled her birth weight exactly and is showing 'the signs' last 3 days went well, she laughed and smiled at evry mouthful, today though she was not interestded but she's full of a cold so wasn't bothered.

bonfirenight Anyone taking babies??

Hi all
Sorry not to have posted (seems I'm not the only one!) Older DC's have had swine flu and been quite poorly altho slowly on the mend. Jack seems to have escaped altho he's had a nasty cough.
Sleep Gillyan, I have found all my DC's have needed different amounts of sleep (day and night) so I shouldn't worry about what they are 'supposed' to have. Jack 'power naps' mainly so has frequent 30 min sleeps (mainly in his pushchair on the way or way back from school). Right pain for getting anything done. Probably adds up to about 2-3 hours over the whole day.
Weaning We've made a start and Jack LOVING solids, hopefully might make him get back to sleeping longer in the night.
Bonfire night Yes taking them all. Will probably take Jack in the sling. My other DC's slept thro it all in the sling!!!!

Hi all really thinking of weaning too, the boys have fed every 2 hours today!
Both really dribbly and eating hands.

Have the days in a sort of routine now, but still up every 3 hours at night

Daytime sleep - approx 8.30 till 9.15
11.15 till 11.45
1pm till 2
3.30 till 4
5.30 till 6
then bed at 7pm

The main issue was getting them sleeping and eating at the same time which I think I've just about cracked.

Rolling quiltedrose he's quite amazing the second you put him down his legs go up he gives a grunt and he's on his front.
Today he managed to get a few feet across the room by doing a series of rolls none of my other dc's did this, his other amazing skill is to have the loundest scream\cry I've ever heard it goes right through me!

Freddie is the talker though and just content to talk to his imaginary friends

Gillyan have the same screaming with Stan but the last nap really helps he still screams but not for as long

misspealla My hair is falling out too!

So first foods? is it still apple and stuff or babyrice first? I can't remember

hello! hope everyone is ok?
daytimesleep still dont have too much of a routine here he has days like yesterday where he slept from 9am-12 but today hardly any sleep!

activity all i can say is i know how you feel his sleep is getting worse! ive started giving up putting him back and keepinghim in bed with us! i just dont want to end up with a baby who wont sleep in their own bed but im fed up of traipsing up and down the landing!

weaning i was wanting to do the whole hold out til 6 months but im going batty from lack of sleep and constant feeding! he used to sleep 7-12/1ish he has just woken for yet another feed! he's 15 weeks today, im so tempted would it be really bad to start him on a little bit of solids??

bonfire taking the kiddies to one organised by the hospice who cared for my brother.

Hi everyone

Daytime sleeps - No routine as such here but he usually gets tired around 1.5-2hrs after a feed and will have about 30mins sleep so that probably adds up to around 3hrs.

Weaning - We're still going to leave it a few weeks yet i think. Ds1 was 18wk so i want to get at least to 18wks with Noah before starting. I'm not going to bother with baby rice or if i do i'll put some fruit puree in it to make it taste a bit better. I think i gave ds1 a bit of baby rice then blueberry porridge and veg/fruit puree's.

I stopped giving Noah gaviscon a few weeks ago and thought he was ok but about a week after we stopped it he started getting bad again. I wasn't sure if it was because he was poorly or if it was reflux but i've started the gaviscon again today to see if he improves again. He had just started sleeping longer at night but that has all gone to pot again and he's crying during and after his bottles and arching his back when we're trying to wind him.

sleeping thanks for info guys, Summer used to just fall asleep whenever she was ie bouncer play mat etc and at least 4 naps a day.

hair my hair is falling out so badly!!!!! I know you grow more hair when your pregnant and then lose it but didn't think it would still be coming out now, I have really thick hair so not too bothered but hope it stops soon

greyhair well white hair actually, don't know if you guys remember but my birthday was June and was very pregnant and eneded up in hospital the night before with more eraly contractions, was allowed home on my birthday only to find a bright white bloody hair!! It was my 27th birthday and a bit gutted to be finding white hairs! Anyway, I know have about 6

Grey Hair! Join the club Gillyan! I didn't have any until I had the dc! Now i have my fair share!

Phoenix Interesting you say that you have put Noah back on the gaviscon. I was starting to reduce Max's to once a day as I am sure it does horrible things to his tummy. He used to poo after every feed, and now he does it once a day, strains like mad and stinks to high heaven and I mean really stinks. Its soooooo grim! Its also a strange consistancy almost like porrige? Sorry guys tmi!!! I wondered if it was the formula or gaviscon.

Sleep is a bit of a disaster here at the moment. He has a morning nap of about 3/4 hour and then a lunch time sleep of about an hour and a bit and then will have a power nap either on the school run or when we gt back. The day sleeps are great but he has started waking again at night. Last night I was up for 1 1/4 with him between 4.45 and 6am. I am knackered!

I am taking Max toBonfire night and trick or treating this year. Again will put him in the sling and hope he sleeps. DH is home for both so if I have to go home with him I will.

Anyway coffee calling!

Evening all

Funny we are chatting greys - I have patches of it (yuck) and am officially in my mid-30's (er 35 is no longer "early" 30's.....). I guess it really is just downhill.

Apple my tummy is so soft and jelly like. I hate bf in public not because of my boobs being on display but because of the rolls and rolls of flesh in my midriff.

Largeglass I can't believe one of your boys is rolling! I am all about keeping Tristan stationary. I already have 2 older DC's that keep me on my feet. You'll be zipping about before you know it.

Bonfire Night not sure what we are doing. I have never taken my other 2 DC's when they were babies (both have gone after turning 1yrs old). But they love it and don't want them to miss out.

Patchy I am definitely trick or treating. DS1 has neve gone and he is 4 and I reckon he'll be amazed by it all.

Phoenix how is Noah now?

Hi Gillyan Jlo and anyone else I have missed.

gosh i'm off for a night and look how many posts! I had a good excuse btwit was my 7th wedding anniversary yesterday

bonfire yes all of mine have gone at this age. we got to local one at the leisure centre organised by the fire dept. Neither of the others bothered by it in fact liked watching the colours.
formula instead of EBM a good one I have found is to buy the ready made cartons if it's only an occasional thing as it is caramelised to preserve it so sweeter more like breastmilk.
I am really excited as my mum phoned me last night to say she would have my older 2 from sat through the hols for me - I am going down anyway but this gives me 4 days with just Alfie. My neighbour has agreed to look after him on sat night so DH and I can go out and celebrate our anniversary - yay! Thankfully Alfie doesn't seem to mind the bottle or formula although it makes him more windy. Now the question is do I leave him for just the evening or overnight???
BF whoever asked yes we are still bf and looking like we will be for a while judging by alfies marathon hour and a half feed this evening
hair my hair hasn't started falling out yet but it usually happens when your hormones drop and alfie still feeds often enough to keep mine high. Greys I found 1 when I was 18 but thanksfully no more since [smug emoticon] i'm 28 so I am sure it is just around the corner...
sleep little man naps on the school runs (3 times a day) so no routine here

I'm losing hair but not on my head lol, it's on my belly. When i've been pregnant both times i've had really dark hairs all over my belly. A few days after having ds1 they started falling out but this time they have only just started disappearing because up to this week i have still been leaking bm (bf for 3/4wks) but now that has just about stopped the hairs are going yay

Not come accross any grey hairs yet (i'll be 29 in December)

Noah has been really unsettled earlier this evening but think it was teeth because bongella and calpol calmed him. The gaviscon isn't making any difference yet but it's only been a day so hopefully it will in a few days and he'll go back to sleeping in his cot for more than 2hrs a night instead of sleeping on me. I hate him been in with me because although i'm not drinking/smoking/taking drugs i'm going into very deep sleeps lately, dh has been getting up with ds1/coming home from night shifts/going to work etc. and i'm not waking up so i know i'm in a deep sleep because normally i would wake up.

Grey hair - plenty here - I've given up pulling it out now, except for the stupid ones that stick up at right angles. Haven't particularly noticed it falling out, but mines thick like gillyan's so maybe that's why... I'll have some highlights put in I think - that seems to blend the greys away.
naps - no fixed routines here. Mostly she just has the odd 30 minues here and there but nothing much more. Occasionally she'll do a monster 3 hour sleep in the daytime, but that's quite rare. I've never put her back in the Amby in the daytime - only at night. For naps she falls asleep where she is and stays there generally.
unsettled - she has been very unsettled recently. Whingey on holiday last week which I put down to a change of routine/scenery, but she's been just as bad when we got back. Yesterday was the day from hell. I had to go to Murderhell for a birthday present (not my fave place in the universe). She screamed all the way in the car, then screamed in the pram, so I ended up carrying her in the sling and pushing an empty pushchair . Then back in the car to clinic - screamed all the way. I hit something as I turned onto the clinic road - no idea whether it was the kerb/cat/dog, but I stopped and searched and searched and found nowt . Child still screaming. Got weighed (she was back in the sling so quiet for that) and then set off in the car to deliver the birthday present, child screaming again. Ended up in a road rage incident with a dumb ass Vulva-driving moron, child still screaming, so finished up pulling into Morrisons car park, both of us crying by this point. Took us half an hour and a breastfeed to calm down. Delivered present then more screaming on the journey home and way into the evening. DP didn't get his ass home from work until 9pm by which time I was ready for fucking hanging myself. Driving in all that awful rain didn't help either. Finally got her settled in her own bed about 1am this morning. No sign of teeth, no temp., bum's fine, feeding fine - no idea what is wrong at all, unless it's pure boredom. She's only happy in the sling, facing out, when I'm moving around, which is fine but I do like to occasionally sit down and have a peaceful brew! She's moaning again now Thank goodness she sleeps through the night or I'd lose my marbles as well as my patience.
swimming - anyone thinking about it or done it yet with the baby?
bonfire night - afraid I'm with activity on that score - I like the colours but loathe the bangs and it tends to be like WW3 around here. I shall be indoors with the fire lit and a small Drambuie in hand. I'm sure they get louder every year. And they don't really stop, then, until after New Year.
breastfeeding - still going here and stills seems to be going surprisingly well. She's nailed to that 50th line. I'm a bit nervous about the big 4 month growth spurt though. There's a really lovely nursing room at Meadowhall in the Oasis if anyone needs it. Dim light, nursing chair - really nice, clean and private.
rolling over - she half did it a couple of weeks ago but hasn't done since. She's permanently trying to sit up though - whenever she's on her back she tries to lift up - she looks like she's doing little stomach crunches which is quite cute. She ain't that fussed for the Bumbo though. I thought she's like the sitting up, but she'll tolerate it for about 15 minutes and that's all.
Happy Anniversary Queenfee - hope you have a nice night out
Blobby Tummy - mine's awful. Hoping continued BF, pram pushing and sling walking should rid me of it

jetli what a monster of a day u had!!! Hope you're feeling abit calmer now.

swimming yes went when she weas about 10 wks, she loved it!!

rolling over Not done that yet but she is throwing herself forward trying to sit up all the time, it's very funny!

jetli summer is having screaming fits for no apparent reason, it's shit.

Jetli I hope things are better. max screams everytime he goes in the car, he hates it bless him. The school run is hell on earth.

Blobby tummy's I have bought some of the breastfeeding vest tops that I wear under whatever glamerous outfit I have chosen for the day (not glamerous at all!) Then I can just undo the strap, lift up the outer layer and feed without showing any flesh! I got one from JoJo whatsit which is brilliant, and one from Mothercare, which is crap! I have also got a few from Primark that are just ordinary vest tops, cheap as chips, a size larger than normal and I just pull them down under boob when feeding. Not a piece of flesh to be seen!

We are off to the inlaws for a few days (too long) over half term. Dreading it already especially now Max is waking up again throughout the night. Its hard work at the best of time, worse when I am sleep deprived. Joy!

Taking Max to be weighed tomorrow, expect im to be huge the amount he is eating!

JetLi I think some days are just worse than others. James has some days where he niggles all day, has little power naps, but assume not long enough as grumpy when awake and needs loads of attention. I find those days terribly wearing. Then other days where I feel that he spends most of the day asleep with his awake times being short and sweet. I remember once driving to Saundersfoot for a holiday with my eldest DS (now 21) crying all the way. Just stopping to sleep for 1/2 hr then crying again. By the time we arrived we were extremely stressed and totally fed up!! These times pass and eventually make amusing tales but definitely not at the time

Gillyan James daytime sleeping patterns vary but his usual pattern is; he tends to sleep after his first feed (7-ish) then wakes for an hour and I feed him again at about 9.30 before I head off out to do my horse (had her for 17 yrs). Put him in the pushchair and wheel him up to her field (asleep again) whilst I poop scoop, then he wakes for a little while whilst I do other jobs. Head off with a friend to walk our dogs, he falls asleep again 10 mins after I pop him in the sling, walk for an hour, head home for next feed 1.30. Now he'll play on the floor, just lying and kicking, making noises at me. I head out again at 3-ish to do evening horse duties and he'll sleep again for about an hour. Next feed 5.30-6 ish. Bath him and give him his last bottle 7.30-8 ish then put him to bed around 8-8.30. He wakes up anywhere between 2 and 4 (doesn't generally cry, just hear him stirring in cot by our bed), I just pop his dummy in & he sleeps then if we're lucky until 7a.m. If we're unlucky, he keeps stirring after 4, and ends up in our bed, not awake but fidgeting until 7; that's VERY tiring!! We try to go to bed at 10 so we at least get 6 hours of straight sleep. I think he's pretty good really, but he has slept straight through a little while ago, though not for ages now. Seems to have reverted back to wanting a feed at 4 but I don't think he's that bothered as he usually goes back to sleep without one and he already has 6 bottles of 7oz per day and weighs 16lb. Really don't want him to have 7 bottles!! And anyway by 7a.m. he doesn't seem that ravenous.

tummytime I need to do more of as I don't think his upper body strength is very good. To us older mums, this is a new thing, getting them to spend time on their tummies. James hates it and just lies face down on the floor then turns his head to the side, but clearly not overly happy! Know we're supposed to do it every day and gradually increase the time, but sometimes don't want to spoil his mood and if I'm honest, often forget

hi just been trying to catch up. Whole family been ill. Nightmare!

f bottles dd now refusing her bottle from dh so might switch back to EBM to try and convince her rather than losing the bottle altogether. it tastes so different. Who weas asking for tips? WARM WARM WARM is my tip! DD will only have it if it's actually a bit too warm (not that I suggest that) but if it's just luke warm she'll not even entertain it from dh. Won't take from me at all.

weaning so glad lots of others have joined this. Makes me feel better as dd is... actually have no idea how old she is now! (3 months plus some but not 4 months yet) She refuses babyrice made with formula but will eat it made with bm! She loved sweet pot today. Starting to get the hang of sucking off the spoon. Keep expecting her to be as good straight away as dd1 was but she's a month younger but the same size

sleep dd will stay awake 1.5-2 hours after a feed and has 1 big sleep and 2 little ones in the day. Would be better if could give big sleep in the middle of the day as less grouchy when it happens but dd1 does half days at nursery so generally not possible.

night waking dd1 was ff and sleeping through at this point but dd2 still waking for a feed at night. Compared to some of you is nothing but starting to feel the tiredness. Hence the weaning. trying to keep up the bf amounts and give food aswell rather than instead.

teething dd still awful with it. Drools so much she soaks through a bib in 5mins. Her cheek is scabby because it's so hot all the time and she is struggling to feed cos it hurts. Plus I hate the fact that teething makes them so vulnerable to colds. We've had 3 colds in the last 6 weeks. I thought BF was supposed to protect them but she's been as bad as everyone else! Ah well!

Sorry for monster post. Been trying to keep track x

Sorry to hear your lot have been ill aliboble. Hope you're all better now

Just been looking at a another thread on weaning. Could not believe how horrid some of the posters were to this poor mum who was asking advice on how much to feed her 4 month old. They were vile comments completely slagging her off for weaning her baby at 4 months. I ended up wanting to scream and shout at my PC I decided I'd better come back to my 'friends' on this thread I cannot stand people who 'quote' guidelines and research without having read any of the actual research properly, then think they know everything and if you disagree you must be stupid. [taking deep breath and relaxing emoticon!]

OK rant over. I can now go back to cuddling my 4 month old who is having solids and sleeps on his tummy - I must be the worst mother in the world

Patchy I do pretty much the same as you with my BF 'attire'. However I have just treated myself to a long sleeved BF top (ooh the luxury of having warm arms from Boob which I got off Ebay!

Phoenix it could be a lot worse - the belly hair could be grey

Lydia amazed at early sitting - Bea is still firmly planted on her back and hasn't grasped the concept of rolling! It's funny how this time around I don't care - with DD1 I was desperate for her to get to the next stage, with Bea I want her to stay my little baaaaaby for a while longer!

ruby am also a bit slack on the tummy time thing. It's a bit embarrassing at baby massage when all the babies are happy on their tummies and mine is grunting and screaming!

pooing Bea is a once every 3 days kind of girl and always has been and she is still breastfed- although I do find that there is normally a bit of nappy action after we've had our massage class

Halloween Am taking DD1 and DD2 to 2 x kiddie's halloween parties - I wanted to go proper trick or treating but DD1's friend's mothers 'don't do' Halloween so. Have stocked up on bags of sweets in case we get any door knockers though - and have bought all the sweets that i don't like much in the vague hope that I won't eat them when there are loads left over.

It's funny though, isn't it, when all you've got left in your cupboard is a wobbly packet of Parma Violets, how you can still manage to force them down

But woe betide the trick or treaters that wake my baby up by ringing the doorbell

bf 'attire' I do the same cheap vest top under everything although boys have started to fiddle with the top layer so I am often left very exposed as I have no hands free to do anything about it

Jabs we had our 3rd ones today it was awful 3 jabs poor little things
Stan as been screaming on and off since and just got him to sleep in the pram thank god.

weaning spoke to hv friend today and she said she had been on training last week saying about going back to four months, her advise was to wean if I felt they were ready for it.

halloween we are having a party for kids and adults, Dp loves halloween and can't wait to dress up and scare small children

lgor hadn't thought about the no hands left to sort it thing could be [bluch] but also quite it's bad enough with 1 when they start getting nosey but 2 i bow down to your superiority

tummys alfie sleeps on his tummy but only lasts seconds when i put him that way to play. It is sitting bolt upright or nothing for him. So glad a friend lent me a bumbo otherwise I don't know what I would do as even propped up on the sofa is not upright enough for him.

halloween i think i might pretend I am out... I really hate the whole trick or treat thing but don't know how long I am going get away without doing it for dd1 (5)

bfwear I just wear ordinary tops. H&M do some nice BF ones and have recently had lots in the sale if anyone is interested though.

winter am on the hunt for a decent coat for the winter - but it's a bit of a tall order as it must be knee length waterproof have a hood and shock horror not make me look like a sumo wrestler! School runs 3 times a day call for these things to be essential