June09: the one where we learn to type with one finger

[Tee2072]

Hi all and welcome to our first post-natal thread! Nappy's, colic and burping OH MY!

Come join the conversation as our baby's grow and grow.

Hi everyone

Sorry I've been so bad about keeping up. Of course Adam keeps me busy, but I am also struggling with my PND/Anxiety issues and so have had to step back from some stuff!!

I have been skimming and it sounds like y'all are doing well!

choccie to continue our nipple convo...I had some variflows that I tried with A this week. He hates them. The formula came out so fast it just dribbled down his chin. So I'm going to stick to 1s!!

Hi Ermin thanks for the advice on pooing!! the joys of boys!! Imogen was easy too xx Flynn did come home in the same trousers I sent him in- but at a mums and toddlers group- he wee'd xx bless him xxx

Tee sorry to hear about your PND- i hope you are having some decent help from gps/hv etc. Lots of love.

I went to a coofee grp today- and as I didn't what they were like with BF- I chose to take a bottle with-- the looks I got from some lactating mammas- were as if I was feeding hin poison! I'll be getting the baps out next week x

Worried - Yeh thats basically what a playdate is. As the kids get older you can leave them at your friends house for a while to play and then collect later. It is better if you get into a recipricol arrangement or you will end up like me; having every kid in the neighbourhood scratching at your door and never getting your kids asked back for a play a ttheir parents.

I have been putting my foot down but now another awkward scenario has occurred. I am quite friendly with 1 of my neighbours and we help each other out quite often. It is ALWAYS reciprocated. Anyway, we arranged a playdate around my house for this afternoon and 5 minutes before her little girl was due to arrive my neighbour called to say the "Other" neighbours had seen her in the street walking her kids and sent their daughter along too. So I ended up with 2 girls on the playdate instead.When this happens the boys friends just plays with the other girl and its just not the same. I don't mind but the neighbours are getting away with it again.My friend is very good to the "others" and that is her decision but we are getting into awkward territory as I have made it quite clear to her that I am not happy with the "others" ditching on me all the time.Sorry to be going on about this again.

Tee - Hi there. I went back to No.2 teats and Elina is much happier.

choccie - sounds like you have a lot of demanding neighbours! i dont know how you put up with all their kids too, must be tough to put your foot down though as you dont want to offend anyone but i think you really need to before you go crazy! you must be just TOO nice and trustworthy x

effie - nice to see you on here. dont want to upset you but dd1 took months to get the hang of pooing! i think it was mostly our fault though as we used to constantly be asking her if she needed to go and telling her she must go to the toilet etc, we tried every kind of reward/praise scheme going and nothing seemed to work until we just stopped talking about it completely and if she did have an accident we cleared her up with very little discussion, just a quick 'next time we will try to use the toilet' and that was it. hope your ds masters it very soon, i think potty training is the most frustrating thing i've ever done!! Great news about Ruperts weight gain! hope he is feeling much better now too

tee - sorry to hear you are feeling a bit down, hope you feel better really soon x

amy - great sleep from Caelan! I try to stick to never waking a sleeping baby too and think that they will son shout if they get hungry!

laura - i too struggle to keep up with everyone, i read all posts but then when it comes to replying i have forgotten everything!!

mrsmc - hope you are having a better day today and your ds (and dh!) and behaving themselves! x

erm - the wedding sounds lovely and such a treat! i would love to get married again, our wedding day was so special (of course i would marry the same man again, most of the time!)

naat - pleased to hear the baptism went well and you had a lovely time with your dad. the last time we went to York it rained ALL day!! does it always rain there lol!

littles - where did you get the book for dh from if you dont mind me asking? its such a lovely idea

bunny - its no surprise you felt run down after all those visitors! hope you manage to get some peace now to enjoy Delie and relax more

well i thought i had the sleeping through the night sorted but for the last 2 nights Isobel has been up around 4am ish for a while!! she is now sleeping in her cot and I think its not as cosy as her moses basket but she is too long for that now! is it safe to put some sort of rolled up towels or something like that around her sides to help her feel more secure or is there something specially made for this situation??

hi to everyone i've missed! hope you are all well xx

hi llynnnn.
I also found potty training one of the hardest things. It took me 8 months with DS1.Total disaster. Should have known he wasn't ready.Typical Choccie; stubborn perserverance.
Took a week with DS2 but he was pooing his pants for a long time after conquering the wee's. He is 4.6 now and still leaves it right until the last minute when Mr Poo Poo is touching cloth .

Elina is in a travel cot at the moment with an extra comfy matress. (not ready to move her into her room yet and she is also too long for moses basket).
She woke a couple of times during the night once we moved her from the moses basket but now she loves stretching out her arms for the night Hopefully that will be the case for Isobel too. I have never used towels etc to cushion the sides but maybe someone else can come along with better advice.

Hey ladies had a busy day today, DS had a play date this morning and then he, Aaliyah and I spent the afternoon at my Mum?s. She played with DS whilst I played with Aaliyah on a rug on the grass and then did a baby and mummy yoga class that my sister recorded for me off Fitness TV. Aaliyah wasn?t too impressed and fell asleep! DS had a good nap today and it made all the difference to his behaviour it is a public holiday here tomorrow so DH is taking DS to soft play whilst I get organized for our friends from Scotland coming for dinner am really looking forward to having them around and am hoping that it will have a positive effect on DH

Thanks Effie your boys are gorgeous too. DS is really sweet with Aaliyah; he loves it when I rest her on his knee. Hope Rupert is feeling much better, lovely that he is progressing so well with his weight .

Laura ? think some multi-vits would make you feel better

Worriedamy ? is that your DSS in the photos of you in hospital on FB? Sounds like you got a great deal at M&Ps! Glad you got a good sleep; Aaliyah can generally do 10 hours now. I think its fine to let them sleep at this age; they?d wake up if they were hungry. I don?t know about Caelan but Aaliyah spends a lot of the afternoon topping up her milk stores for nighttime! Your boobs will settle down after a little while. Mine were like that for a couple of weeks but now don?t feel so full in the mornings. If you are having problems latching Caelan on when you are really full just exaggerate the latch to get more nipple in his mouth and if that doesn?t help express a bit off manually just before you feed him and/or use hot flannels. Your understanding of a play date is exactly right. Those bottles look interesting. I have stocked up on the Tommee Tipeee ones for when the time comes for Aaliyah as those were the ones DS got on best with.

Ermintrude ? LOL at your potty training experiences! I am going to wait a while for that joy; the transition from cot to bed has been stressful enough!

Tee ? sorry to hear that you are having some issues, hope you feel much better about everything soon

Choccie ? I just cannot believe the audacity of your neighbours

Llynnn ? I?ve seen dividers advertised that make the cot seem smaller but rolled up towels could do the trick if they are away from her reach, is she rolling yet?

Funny observation, the milk I am collecting whilst feeding is almost clear. I remember the same with DS around this age but that coincided with us being on holiday and I thought it was down to the heat (creating more liquid to keep him hydrated) that said it is still boiling here so I might be getting it for the same reason but I just wondered if any of you experienced this?

Hi everyone, just got back from taking Caelan to feed the ducks, think me and DP enjoyed it more than him though, its maybe a bit early for him yet!!!

mrsmcjnr no the lad with the dark brown hair in the hospital is my sister's boyfriend, and the girl with the blonde hair is my sister. Michael (DSS) is the lad if you look at my albums, the album called aiya napa 2008 has a pic where 3 of us are sat at a table on the front cover. That is me, DP and DSS! Your pics are lovely, very envious of your pics at the beach!! Aaliyah has some lovely little outfits! And love Xaviers little curls!! About the milk thing, I suppose it would make sense for your milk to be more watery to begin with in the hot weather!! How clever would that he if that is the case!! I know the first part of the milk if I express any seems more watery, but not clear, but I don't drink half as much water as I should do! Maybe that has an effect? I dont really know- I'm a bit of a novice at all this!!

chocie thats a really awkward situation for you, I don't really know what to suggest! Maybe get your DH to have a word with the male neighbour, man to man chat kind of thing! Then you don't seem like the bad guy either!

Going to have to go, feeling really guilty as DP is currently marching around the house with a screaming Caelan. I think he has a bit of wind, and its so tempting to say, give him here, as I know he will settle with me, but I also know I should let DP have him so that he doesn't feel like I take Caelan off him all the time. I have said a couple of times 'do you want me to have him while you just get a drink' etc etc, but he just says no I'm okay, so don't want to push it too much! Catch up again tomorrow!!

hey lynn maybe you could try one of these "co-sleeping beds" kinda like these

I've not had time to catch up, busy holiday having a lovely time introducing lo to relatives. It's hot out here off to the seaside tomorrow and we'll be back before we know it.

I think Calypso will be too big for her basket when we come back...
I'll try and catch up properly while I feed her!

Hi all.

I had another nights sleep but woke with a banging headache-- was hoping to feel refreshed!! lol

I added a few pics on my profile- I clicked so all can see them xxx

Hope you all have a great day xxx

effie what cute pics of all 3! Your DD is beautiful, and that hair is fab, DS1 looks like a really cheeky little lad.

mrsmc My milk has never been clear as far as I know, but has been translucent bluey-white. It must be to do with climate - worried breast milk does alter its water content according to outside temperature; it really is very clever! I keep needing to remind myself to drink more water - every time I'm thirsty I make a coffee (sometimes decaff) whereas I should alternate really.

June glad you're having a lovely time, I bet Calypso is being cooed over all day long. Arthur has been in his cot for a few weeks now - looked like a giant in the crib but has gone back to looking all teeny in the enormous cot. He took to the change quite happily.

Hi ermin thank-you for the compliments xxx If only dd would like it too-- she gets stopped all the time and wishes she'd have normal hair xxx and yes ds1 is very cheeky!!

I might have to get the cot up soon if Rupert gets much bigger

mrsmc my milk is clear first off- then turns creamy xxx

ok so I haven't checked in for 3/5 days and now I have no hope of catching up. You lot have been very chatty

Am at the gym quickly logging on. Dd1 is in nursery and dd2 is at home with dh. Must be quick.

All is well here but starting to feel a bit miserable about my return to work in 2 weeks time.m There is a possibility I can do project work for a few months before resuming my proper job. That would be loads easier as it would mean far less travelling and working some days from home.

Don't want to stop bf either so am down to just one lovely snuggly feed at bedtime. Dd2 drinks about 25oz of ff as well. Amazed at yr advice (from weeks ago) Erm that my body will cope with just one feed per day and still keep lactating - seems to be true.

Hope you and yr babies are all doing well x

Hello Juners!!

Not a good night here, up 4 or 5 times, can't even remember I'm a zombie. I really thought she was going to zonked out at night as during the day she slept very little... but no. Oh well... Another chatty day here yesterday! I read everything last night but was so tired after a day of walking around Leeds with my dad that I couldn't post. Let's see if I can remember things now

June, glad you're having such a good time at home I'm sure you have loads and loads of pics by now

Ermin, hi! Mila has been in her cot for weeks as well, she has taken to it quite well but as she likes to sleep on her side we put a cylinder pillow on her back, llynn. She looks so tiny in that huge cot that pillow helps a bit.

Mrsmc, hope yesterday's nap helped DS settle better at night and that things are better at home. Yoga with Aaliyah sounds nice!

Worried, my milk starts quite clear white and then gets "thicker"and whiter... Glad and a bit Caelan is having such good nights Oh, the same happens here sometimes, Mila screams or doesn't settle to sleep with DH and he gives her to me and in a minute she's ok and settled, he says to me "not fair!" but he takes it well and says it's understandable she'll do that because as Ermin said, it's different with mums I guess every DH feels a bit like that When are you getting married? I think you told us but I forgot Mila wore a christening gown (those loooooong ones ), she looked lovely as they all do. I'll upload pics soon, I promise.

Choccie, glad that Elina is enjoying her new bed Oh, what an awkward position you were put in the other day! One of the juners advised talking to your DH about it so that he'd be the one "facing" the other dad, maybe you could give that a try?

Effie, hi! Glad to read you here again!! Ohhh sorry to hear about the ins and outs of potty training =S But so glad Rupert is thriving!!! Hope he's feeling better now.

Tee, sorry to hear you've been having some trouble with anxiety/PND, hope you're getting the help you need and that you feel better soon. Adam looks great and he's thriving as well! You must be a very proud mummy

Laura, hi! Oh I'm with you on the mush brain these days Hope you're getting enough rest and that your visitors leave SOON.

Right, I'm a mess today, I need a shower asap and get this zombie look off me No going out for me today! Definitely staying home Hope I haven't xposted too much now

(((waves)))

Hi Naat Sorry about your sleepless night- Hope you manage to get some rest today x

I hoping to start planning Ruperts Christening soon- we are thinking March time,

I'm loving being back xx

Effie yours pics are lovely, seeing Rupert now, and seeing him in his little incubator just shows you well you are both doing, you must be so proud!! Caelan has those little vests that he had on also, from Boots? We are looking at a March Christening too.

ermin If there were MN awards for most knowledgeable (sp?!) I'm sure you would be right up there!! I'm sorry, I didn't realise you had posted another couple of pics on your profile- how alert does Arthur look in that pic, how great!! And his hair looks the same colour as Caelan's- kinda auburny/ brown? I love his little t-shirt, little rocker!!

Naat- so sorry for you that you are still having restless nights, it must be awful. I don't know how you manage to still sound so chirpy, the lack of sleep must really be getting to you xxx I'd love to see the pics of Mila in her gown, I bet she looked gorgeous! I have been looking at little christening outfits for Caelan, trying to persuade DP to let me spend the money on this one or this one. Can't decide whether I want to go for the most traditional looking heirloom type like the first one, or the little suit type ones like the second one. DP just says, yeh thats nice too everything I show him!! Not very helpful!! He only has an opinion when it comes to how much it is going to cost!! We have the church booked for our wedding for the 21st August 2010, but that is all we have organised up to now- kinda daunting how much we have to plan, I dont even know where to start!

silkcushion I don't envy you having to go back to work in two weeks, I can't even imagine having to go back to work at the moment, I can't even keep on top on the ironing and housework!! No wonder you arn't looking forward to it, but I am happy for you that you are still getting your snuggley feed at night! Hope you get the kind of work you are hoping for so that you can ease yourself back into it!!

Hello to llynn, june, tee and all other Juners, hope you are all okay xx

I seem to be getting period type cramps over these last couple of days, looks like my period free days are coming to an end once they start again, is it just back into the normal routine even though I am still breastfeeding?? I think Caelan sleeping through the night a bit more has led to them starting again, would I be right?

Hope you all have a nice day xx

Worried Thank you, but it's just become I'm so damned old . Arthur's hair is brownish at the moment but he'll probably lose it and go blond like his siblings - he's already receding a bit and there's a little blond skinhead style underneath.

silk I hope you can get the project work if that appeals to you more - it would ease you both in gently. I'm really glad I don't have to leave A this time because I work from home, but was fine leaving DD at 4 months and DS1 at just over 5 months - for 3 days per week in nursery in both cases. A lot depends on whether you enjoy your job because it really helps your mood and ability to cope with the changes. And I have to say, I'm itching to start work on a couple of things but am hardly getting the time. Hopefully the morning sleep will get longer and enable me to do something.

hiya everyone

would like to ask a quick question. I had the implant put in 1 month ago as thought that would be the best form of contraception, wish i did more reading up on it. I am now experiencing weight gain, depression (along with my PND) and increased heart rate. I have read on websites that they will not remove the implant until after 6 months. I really want this thing out of my arm, do you think the docs will remove it or force me to have it in for 6 months i cant stand the thought of how bad things will be in 6 months time any advice is appreciated xxx

morning all

hope all is well and your little June bundles have let you have a good nights sleep!

Naat - Hope Mila had a better night last night, you must be exhausted getting up that many times

Amy - how exciting to have your wedding booked for next year I loved planning our wedding, although I didnt have a little one to take care of at the same time!

We are also planning the christening for March. We are having a joint one with my sisters little baby (she is 5 weeks younger than Isobel). we are having to wait until March though as my sisters husband is in the army and is being posted to Afgan soon and wont be back until March looking forward to it already though as it will be lovely to get all our families together

Silk - really hope you get to do some work from home to ease you back in gently. I go back in January and already dreading it!!

effie - hope you had another good nights sleep and woke up without the headache today!

June -thanks for the link, I havent seen anything like that before. pleased you are having a great holiday

mrsmc -hope you had a nice bank holiday with your friends and they worked some magic on your dh! Isobel can roll onto her sides but hasnt managed to go all the way over yet. touchwood though, she has slept lovely in her cot the last 2 nights now so I'm hoping she is used to it now!

I'm taking dd1 swimming this morning while dh looks after Isobel. he is really excited about having some time just with her as he never usually gets the chance (hope shes good for him!!) I'm not looking forward to squeezing into my swimming costume though!! I havent been for ages, hope theres no-one else I know in the pool

Hi to everyone else, hope you all have lovely days

morning everyone

llyynnn enjoy your day swimming with dd1 i cant wait for the first time i take Sarah swimming

Well Sarah slept from 10pm until 4.30 back down for 5 then that was her until 8.30 this morning, although it was broken sleep it was great and now hopefully sorted her routine

Was just a quick post as sarah is screaming will be back on to catch up with everyone else x

morning all

have been reading but not found time to post, now I've no chance of keeping up

effie, lovely to see you back. Gorgeous photos! My dd1 has that lovely red hair, well, it's a dark brown at the moment because she got fed up being called ginge funny thing is everyone still calls her ginge so she thinks she'll stop dying it soon, she only started dying it just before easter but is finding it a bit of a faff now! So pleased to hear how well Rupert is doing now.

worried, I hope you manage to continue bf as long as you want to, you had such a battle to get started, now it's easier you should have the chance to enjoy it

naat, hope you got some sleep last night

MrsMcJnr, sending you big ((((hugs)))) as tee would say I'm sure, your dh needs a good kick up the arse! How's ds getting on with his bed time routine, any better? Hope you enjoyed having friends over.

tee, sorry to hear things aren't great for you at the moment ((((hugs))))

laura, maybe you just have to put your foot down and be forceful with your doctor, I don't really see how they could argue you should keep it for 6 months if it's making you depressed, that would just be daft, especially when you have a new baby. You never know until you see your doctor, they may not argue with you at all.

june, good to hear you're having a good holiday, must be lovely to catch up with family

I was so nervous yesterday, I left Edward properly for the first time, you would have thought I would be used to it by now! I'm doing a BSL level 1 course at one of the local schools, it's been a loooong time since I did any kind of studying but thankfully it was fine. Edward was a good boy for dh, I managed to express some milk which he took like a dream, that was my biggest worry as all of mine have been funny about taking a bottle, it was such a relief to get home and see everyone was still smiling Hopefully next week I'll be a lot more relaxed. I had forgotten how uncomfortable those horrible plastic school chairs were, now I remember why I was often told to sit up straight, not to lean against the wall or that I had a neck to hold my head up, I didn't need to rest it on my hands oh the memories

Hope everyone's having a good day, it's really nice here at the moment. Waves to all

Hi All

Just back from getting DS1s pre-school boosters done- he was so brave- I was more nervous with him, than with Rupert- Hes now tucking into 2 kinders eggs!!!!!!

DS1 potty training was more successful yesterday, with the bottom end!!!!! I resorted to praising him with 1 square of chocolate and it worked- to the point he kept saying he needed a poo!! He learnt very quickly that he only gets one if he goes in the right place.

Rupert slept another whole nght last night ( well 11- 6 ) and still woke with a headache! Theres alot a lavender around which gives me a headache and the dreaded period hasn't happened yet- so could be that aswell!! But Ruperts sleeping -so thats good x

I took Rupert swimming the other day ( about 3 weeks ago)- after asking the HV- she said aslong as it was clean( we took him to our gym/tennis club pool- so very clean ). My GP wasn't too happy with it. Rupert loved it, so not sure what to do now!! What do you think????

laura I'd insist that it gets taken out- if its possible- I agree with bigcar!

Hope you all have a good day

Hi everyone. Just a quickie.

Hope all are well and that you have good weather like we do here. Lets hope this is the start of the indian summer

Laura - I would insist of you can to get that implant out!

RE: neighbours - whenever I talk to dh about it all he thinks I am going over the top and he didn't want me to say anything to them. So.....I told the beighbour yesterday ....not doing any play dates past 5pm.I am very busy with baby and DS1 with lots of homework and reading etc. He seemed a bit taken back but thats life eh. I feel so much better that I got it off my chest and that the resentment can die down a little now. Just wondering if he will start knocking the door earlier .

He tried to get in here again yesterday and I said no etc etc. Then I saw that he had left his girls in with another neighbour. I think that he is doing some work from home and thats why he is not doing things with his own kids. If thats the case then maybe they should consider a child minder.....ok I will shut up now

At home with DS2 and E today. DS1 has playdate with school pal.

DS2 is doing great settling into school

Ooops E is waking. Better go. xxx

choccie well done for talking with the neighbour. Men don't like the idea of confrontation but your DH doesn't get other people's DC dumped on him! I was going to suggest you mention it to the wife; I bet she has no idea that her 'SAH house-husband' is shirking his duties quite so badly. And he must know that he's so rubbish you wouldn't want your DC to go round there anyway - he'd probably send them across the road. Hope he gets the 'hint'.

Effielou Well done Rupert for that sleep! Arthur's doing pretty well but when he does a 5am wake-up I can't get back to sleep and wish he'd woken at 4. Poor lad can't win.

and Lauraloo sounds like you're cracking the sleep problem too. I can cope with one wake-up if he goes back down easily too - but more than one makes me a complete zombie the next day.

Bigcar it's great that you can leave E with DH and know he'll take a bottle.

How are you doing Naat? And Worried - hope christening plans are going well.

Somebody asked about return of peroids whilst b/f. I found that even when my DC were weaning and therefore drinking less milk - and when DS1 was in nursery 3 days a week and I wasn't even expressing - my periods still held off (for 10 and 9 months respectively). SO there's no hard and fast rule about return of menstruation. The longer the better I say. .

Hi Juners!!

I've been reading and reading but haven't got round to posting

Ermin, if that is so, then great news on the period thing As you say, not anxious to get it any time soon Glad you're sleeping well And I second amy (I think it was her), A's rock star tshirt is absolutely lovely!

Choccie, well done!! You had absolutely no other choice as he was not getting any hints (or didn't want to get them Enjoy your day

Effie, Oh, I'm dying to take Mila swimming! I join you on the advice need front as I know nothing about pools and babies. Glad you had another good night. HOpe the headache stays away...

Silk, ohhh keeping my fingers crossed for you on the work front so that you get to do what you like best and what suits you best. Glad to hear the feeding is still going strong

Worried, oh those outfits look so nice! I'd go for the first one, but that's because of a personal preference both are lovely! Hope your DP let's you pick one of those

Laura, oh honey, I second all Juners, you must have a word with your GP/doctor and demand that it be taken out, esp. if it's having such nasty effects on you. I don't think it'd be fair to ask you to keep it for months if it's not good for you. ((hug))

llynn, how did the swimming go? Hope you and DD had a good time. The Christening for March with your sister's DC as well sounds lovely.

bigcar, hi! What's a BSL? Happy for you you're doing something you're interested in I'm with you on how unfomfortable those chairs and tables are no matter the country you're in!! Glad to know E had no trouble taking his EMB.

Hi to all the rest of the Juners!

Right, a rough night last night as well... Mila slept 3hs, then 2 and then 1.30 and 1.30 again so up 4 times The thing is that when she woke up the first time she was hungry, apparently but fell asleep 10 min after she started feeding... so I poked her and poked her until she fed for about 30 min so that she was a bit fuller and slept for a bit longer... well... she woke up only 2hs later I can't win! I'm taking my notebook to bed and reading MN at night during those feeds because otherwise I just fall asleep and start swinging my head from side to side Oh well, let's hope for a good night tonight...

Quick question... Mila has taken the habit of pinching my breast when feeding she scratches them as well You'd think it wouldn't hurt coming from such tiny hands but it really does! Has anyone experienced this?

(((waves)))

Hi NaaT

The swimming thing my HV said as long as the pool is a clean one ie not the local fun pool- we have one with a wave machine!! So we take the kids to our gym one. My gp was not keen- but I forgot to mention which one we go to! There are also mother and baby swim sessions in most places, they can be from 3 months- so unsure really. I think I'll take him back when hes over his bug.

The scratch at the breast- I think many babies do it-- It keeps me awake- which is no bad thing in the middle of the night!! lol

Hi to the rest of the Juners xxxxxxx