August 2009 Welcome to the world all of the little princes and princesses!

[OonaghBhuna]

I would like to say congratulations to everyone that joins us on this thread and I am looking forward to hearing lots of birth stories and interesting developments of about our beautiful babies

Thanks everyone! MW is coming on Monday and he will be two weeks old, so will ask why he's not been weighed. MWs (different ones each time) have been out three times so far and the GP has visited as well. Everyone asks how he's feeding, but no one mentions weight. Weird.

We went to the in-laws in London overnight last night, and I managed to fall down the stairs, grabbing FIL's stairlift railing with the metal teeth and grease and mangling two of my fingers in the process. Am ok, CS scar held together and I did not faint, though I do think what happened was I got light headed and slipped (was having a dodgy tummy due to greasy pizza as well). Have some bruises but think it will be worse tomorrow. Arrrgghh. I may have to have fingers looked at, there are 3 big gashes and one doesn't seem to stop bleeding unless held or bandaged very tightly.

Hi everyone

Oh Yank, you poor thing. Falling over post-section is something I dread. Yes, get the fingers looked at and sorted. I know it's tempting to be out and about as soon as you catch a whiff of feeling better, but do take care. I'm on day 11 of my recovery and although I'm feeling pretty damn good I haven't actually left the house yet.

I tried to do too much, too soon last time and just ended up setting myself back all the time. I am DETERMINED to recover in a straight line this time, rather than stepping forwards and backwards tango-fashion!

Everyone, can you please reassure me that you are also having terrible trouble keeping your knees together post-natally?! We had a big photo session earlier, and in every single picture I am sitting with a yawning chasm between my legs like an OAP in a deck chair.

I'm now regretting my choice of a knee-length skirt with no tights this morning... I really didn't need to know that my inner thighs looked like that at this moment in time (less still have it documented!)

Hi All,

Feeling a bit teary here today as my Mum went back to Australia on the weekend and we are now officially on our own.

Sleep deprevation doesn't help either. DS is only sleeping 2-3 hour max stretches at night and not much chance to rest during the day with DD running around. DD has also started to become jealous of DS sleeping in our room, and has been waking all ours of the night and coming into our room. SIGH...

It will get easier, I keep chanting to myself!

Thanks for all the advice on the Phil & Teds. We have ordered one and it should be here later in the week. DS will only sleep during the day in the sling, hopefully he takes to P&T....

SmallScrewCap - I know what you mean about photos, not a great idea in the early baby days! When DS was 2 weeks only we had a friend who is a photographer come over and take shots of the family in the garden. I saw the photos on the weekend and I look so haggard, about 55 with massive bags under my eyes! The shots of DS & DD are lovely, might keep the ones including me hidden though.

ah mellin i so feel for you,dd is 5 weeks & we have only just cracked the sleeping thing with our ds.first he would take about two hours to get him to stay in his room & sleep then We were getting dd to settle for the night at 2.30am(suffers with colic)only to get 2 hours sleep before ds woke us at 4.30 getting into anyones bed who had space,disturbing the other dc,i thought i was going to crack up luckily his nan had him 1 night a week so we could catch up on sleep.The going to bed settled 1st with the help of a sticker chart & hhim getting used to dd then for the last week he has been staying in his bed nearly all night but now has to have the light on,so im sure things will get better for you soon,sleep deprevation is just awfull.dd is still waking every 2-3hrs to feed but i can cope with that.
yank-what a nightmare,hows the fingers now?

hi mellin - i know how you feel sleep deprived. I have ds in the sling all the time, as with the other 2 there's no time to spend trying to settle him in the moses basket during the day. I find it so hard to work out whether he is hungry or tired just now

Sympathies on your mum going home, mellin. ikwim re the only sleeping in the sling thing too. Went out for lunch with my partner and foolishly took M there in her buggy rather than the sling. We ended up taking turns carrying a bawling, distressed baby over our shoulders while the other one pushed the empty buggy... She finally fell asleep at around 6 after quite an unsettled afternoon. She's still sleeping now... I'm trying to embrace the chaos with grace and mostly enjoying her immensely but tiredness and screaming can be a difficult combo!

Just popping on briefly to say hello to everyone and report that we've finally got a name for DS2: he's Fraser Theodore.

He'll be 4 weeks on Friday and I think we're beginning to get into the swing of things. He's piling on the weight I think - will take him to be weighed tomorrow to double check - and seems generally pretty chilled. And ..... (drum roll) he slept for EIGHT hours last night so I love him very much today

Thats great Rachel! Let us know how you get on at the weigh in. I missed baby clinic today so we'll have to go next week when ds is 4.5 weeks.

ScummyMummy - I took DS1 to hospital appt today with DS2 in the buggy - nightmare - he cried as don't think he's used to being out of the sling (all that air circulating around him!!) walked quite a long way into town after the appt and DS1 who is 5 ended up in the buggy and put DS2 back in the sling (luckily had put it in the shopping basket). DS2 then fell asleep immediately but couldn't believe I was carrying a baby and a 5 yr old.

What slings have you all got again? I'm managing with the Baby Bjorn but have been tempted to get a wrap or similar..

hi all - know what you mean about sleep deprivation....
Slings - I have a baby bjorn which I had for DD and have a Kari me on loan - which I am just getting the hang of - I am smallish so there is loads of material - more difficult to use under a jacket - for when it is raining - which it does alot up here!

Hi all, have tried to read through, but not sure I've taken it all in. We're doing ok, DD is now over 4 weeks old and is very colicy. DS, who is 3yo, is demonstrating some very attention-seeking behaviour which is also tiring. He loves his sister and gives her loads of kisses, but is a little demanding in other areas.

Have a ring sling that DD seems to hate! She settles well on Daddy, but not on me, always seems to be rooting or feeding when I hold her. Hey-ho. Mm milk must be really tempting for her .

Take care all.

Have just used my breast pump for the first time, as I need some sleep so DH will have to feed him....not sure about using bottle or cup, he is only 17 days old. Didn't want to start this early, but I'm crashing hard!

Hi all.

Well DS2 is now nearly 4 wks old, how time goes by so quick and he is already changing a bit.. doens't look so newborn wrinkly but is still so tiny, I forget how quickly the v v v early phase passes .

Just about coping with 2, just a bit of a logistical nightmare at times when I need to settle for naps/make tea/bathtime/bedtime as I have zero help from DH as he works so late. DS2 is a dream baby though at the moment (sorry for admitting that) he is sooo much easier than DS1 was, particularly with settling to sleep (but I know that can change as they get a bit older).

Sleep deprivation here, but I think I am still running on adrenaline, but do find myself in bed by 9.30 every night just to cope.

Had a row with MIL the other day, well I actually walked out the room as she had a go at me (for 20mins!) saying DH does too much and needs his sleep for work . A DH who sleeps with earplugs in you mean, and because I am BFg never does a nightfeed so I don;t get any break even at weekends... MIL means 'too much' in that I get him to help out with the occasional nappy in the night or deal with DS1 if he ocassionally wakes... grrr grump over, just can't believe I was spoken to like that. DH was good and made MIL apologise.

YankC I wouldn't worry about giving a bottle at 17days if BFg is going well, IMO I think the jury is out on whether 'confusion' actually exists, or whether it is because the latch/BFg etc was wrong anyway. If you feel you have got BF sorted, you can try 1 bottle and see what happens etc on the feed after that. A bottle is far easier than a cup and you won't be spilling your hardworked EBM.

Mrsthepoint boo to the colic, not fun, hope it gets easier soon.

Rachel 8hrs sleep , ooh I dream of that. Love the name btw.

M is 4 weeks now too. She seems to be having more awake alert time where she charms everyone completely. Then she's suddenly had enough and protests loudly until milk is provided. She's definitely not very into sleeping unless she is curled up on a warm person. 8 hours sleep seems like a distant dream for us, Rachel! I feel v privileged when we get 2/3 hours between feeds at night, especially if she deigns to stay in her cot for some of that time!

Hiya Coonrapids. We've got a wilkinet. Mostly works well. Like you I'm v tempted by a wrap though. I want one of those colourful stripey ones- having a new baby seems to have brought out my hippy side. There are some beautiful mei tai fabrics too.

@your mil, cairns. How utterly unsupportive of her. I would have snapped or wept, I think. Thank goodness your husband stuck up for you so you didn't have to kill him!

Good luck with the expressing and getting soe sleep, yank.

Hello - not been on here much as DD is 4 weeks today and I have only had 3 DAYS just the two of us, MIL been here for past 2 and a half weeks - leaving on Monday. She has been really helpful, but there is something new to do every day so zero chance of establishing any kind of routine in our lives. Torn between looking forward to having some time for DH, DD and I thinking I should enjoy this as soon there will be less visitors.

Feeding going OK - though one side quite painful, there is a breastfeeding group I think we will go to next week. DD also has thrush on her bum which is so nasty looking - hopefully it will clear up soon. Overall really enjoying this so far - amazed at how little sleep I can function on!

Looking forward to having more time for Mumsnet chat soon!

Hello, keep popping in but by the time I catch up I'm needed again!

Well Orla is fine but doesn't like to be laid down (it really makes her sicky - am thinking she may have a bit of reflux). Have been having to keep her upright for ages after a feed and the sling has been a saviour!

For those interested in slings I have:
A Close sling - pile of crap, I hate it
2 Mei Tais - great for quick trips where it's walking to/from car etc. Also know they're great when baby is older (we used them with dd1 from about 6 months).
A Hoppediz stretchy wrap - easy to use and dd loves it, sleeps for hours in it. Very very easy, even if you're new to wrapping (I do a front wrap cross carry - FWCC).

However one of the midwives I'm booked with is also very into slings and she came today to show me more ways of wrapping and I tried her Didymos and OMG it is fab. It's a woven wrap. I was a bit scared to get a woven cos you have to wrap them right or they're uncomfy...but now that I've bloody used it I find it's more comfy than the stretchy so am thinking of getting a woven

Leo had his first bottle of EBM last night and scoffed it in just a few minutes! I worked hard for that 75mL, thought it would have taken longer than that. DH said he seemed happy with it though, and went to sleep straight after.

Have managed between last night and now to get another 75mL expressed, so there is enough for a bottle when DH gets home, giving me a bit of a break.

The breastfeeding MW came by to see me yesterday and was very encouraging about everything, so felt better after seeing her. Leo might have a bit of tongue tie, so she is coming on Monday to weigh him again and if he is still not gaining he will get referred to see if anything needs to be done about it.

As for slings, I've got a Kari-Me and love it. DH is a bigger guy and I'm not exactly svelte (actually, not at all svelte) and this one works really well for both of us.

Oh well done you, Yank. I had one go with the pump and got one measly drop for my efforts. I ought to persevere but am putting it off...

I havent been on for ages. Ollie is 8 weeks and had his first jabs yesterday, he screamed but he was ok quite quickly afterwards. My DD1 started school on Thurs which was very emotional, she looked so grown up in her uniform.So far so good.

I have Ollie in a Kari me sling most of the time, he hates the cot and we dont even try anymore however he is enjoying his bouncy chair for short periods.He feeds every 2.5hrs at night which is hard going.I cant express there is absolutely no time in the day to express with 3DC!So its just boob atm.

It has been a really hard 8 weeks, DD2 has been a nightmare with the tantrums and aggressive behaviour towards me and my DD1.I am hoping that with Dd1 away every day that we can have some quality time.

Hey ho, I hope everyone has a nice weekend

Hi Oonagh glad to hear from you... it is the same here with the 3DCs, no down time at all... at the moment it's the baby that's the easiest one I have to say, despite his collicky evenings... he just feeds, goes in the sling, sleeps, pukes, wees and poos and there's no 'behaviour' to contend with like with the older ones....sorry to hear about your DD2 and the tantrums. Here it's our oldest who is being the most difficult (he's 5). He's having lots of temper tantrums esp after school, trying to control everything and everyone and if he can't he loses it big time. Not sure how much of it is due to new baby, he still finds the school day quite tough.....but it's more tricky/exacerbated by the fact that I'm so busy with the baby. I don't know what I'd do if my parents weren't around as much as they are just now..

hi all!

we've had flu here for nearly 2 weeks, poor eda's still full of snot and trying to cough. it's been really horrible, me and dd1 are still full of flu too, so unfair being stuck in the house feeling crap on lovely sunny days

eda still sleeps most of day and night, probably cos she's poorly. i still wake her to feed every 2.5 hrs in day and she'll sleep 4-6 hrs at night, only wakes for feed and sleeps again so a complete angel unlike dd1.. she's been waking at night and up at 5am..

yank- what kind of pump are you using? i use the electric medela and get 90mls + in 10 mins i never managed at all with hand pump before. we use tommee tipee bottles. also use ready made aptimil or cow n gate sometimes for evening top up

how does the settling to sleep work?? eda won't sleep in her bed at all! sometimes if she's in deep sleep she'll stay there at night but anything less and she screams herself silly. i know that self settling is the holy grail but no idea how to get there.. dd1 was a horrible sleeper and really want to avoid the problems we had with her

eda is sleeping on us, sometimes in bouncer or in moby sling

Hi all,

Just about to reach the 6 week mark here. We are surviving so far since my Mum has left, starting to feel more confident that I can manage with two.

I took Liam to be weighed last week, 5.15kg so he is a growing boy! DD was 12 weeks old before she reached this weight.

He seems to have gotten a lot more alert in the last week or so. More wakeful during the day, but also more difficult to settle to sleep, especially when I try and sneak the boob out of his mouth and get him down. We are having a little success with a dummy the last few days, which seems to help settle him during the day.

We have a bjorn sling and jeepers is he starting to get heavy in it. Anyone used a sling for a baby long term? I might need to look into getting something which distributes the weight better as he gets heavier.

We are also having some success getting him to sleep in the new P&T pram - yippee!

mamamila - sorry to hear eda is poorly. Liam does not self settle either. I am trying to be calm about it and hope that it comes with time. DD was an awful sleeper too, and in the early weeks with Liam I was getting quite worked up about how he slept and worrying that we were going to have another nightmare sleeper. But I have tried to relax and remind myself he is still a titchy baby and self settling will come when he gets older. I try to put him down awake once or twice during the night (it hasn't worked yet) in the hope he might settle. Lots of sleeping on chests going on here too!

Hello all! Finally joining, I think I was the last one on the ante-natal thread... Daphné is 8 days, and keeping me awake at night but doing well beside an eye infection. My parents are over at the mo, and showering me with advice on how I should do things, how the house is too cold, the baby not covered enough etc... getting a bit upset about it, as I understood babies should not be overdressed, whereas my mother would wrap her in layers of woolies. She seems to think Scotland is like Siberia.. (and describes the lovely summer they've enjoyed in France, etc... ).

So glad there are so many others with babies who deign to sleep only on their mum or dad! We've had some success with swaddling in the last few days- it sometimes gives us a couple of hours respite, esp after a really good feed. Otherwise cuddles and slings are all that works. I've just bought connecta online- v excited as am getting a bit tangled when it comes to donning the wilkinet at speed to prevent baby whimpering becoming screaming! Will report back when it arrives.

I might be after a Connecta too ScummyMummy. Tried one out the other week. They seem really good, like a Mai Tei but no knots to tie!

ooo- glad you liked it, cr. I found it really hard to choose- there seem to be so many slings on the market these days. The connecta seemed to be fine for a little baby but likely to last a while and easy to use. Plus I liked the pattern!