NOV 09 - once the lights are out and the last baby has arrived safe and fine, see you here on cloud nine!

[Broodzilla]

I've just realized we're now under the "being a parent" header. I've got stage freight!

Should add that I'm also impressed we don't have any repeats in the list, or even any of the names really popular with DS's crowd. We know loads of tiny Olivers and Freyas, for example, but there aren't any amongst the November babies.

BBL, it was really frightening. And I just thought, what will happen to Paula? It was almost feeding time, I guess she would have managed with lying on me but then there would have been NOTHING! My husband would have needed to buy formula first. When I felt good again, I first fed her and then filled two bottles with breastmilk. And I've decided to freeze some milk for emergencies.
scarlotti, thanks for explaining. I can see totally the point of it and Paula sleeps much better on my chest. I had never tried to convince my husband as I was not entirely sure about it and I feel it's too late now for her. We have our routine and it goes rather well usually but I might try with the next one.
Tamlin, I have the same problem with co-sleeping. I really like the idea of it and sometimes I take her with me for an afternoon nap or in the early morning hours but I am quite convinced that my back cramp came from the strange sleeping position in which I fell asleep but I suppose my subconscience was alert to not move and therefore my body was not relaxed at all iyswim.
I'm fine now but move still in a very strange way frightened I could feel the pain again.

Scarlotti I've had the problem with snack feeding for a few weeks due to DS's congestion. He would get too tired to carry on with a feed and go back for more every hour. It's got better and I noticed the last 2 nights he's breathing sounds much better. We've been prescribed saline drops to use at every feed to help ease the congestion. You can buy it in Boots. Hope it doesn't last too long for him.

Ursi Glad you're ok now. I know how you feel about the awkward sleeping positions. DS is in his hammock for 3-4 hrs each night, but I tend to sleep with him from 3-5am when he's at his fussiest. We have a king size bed and there still isn't enough room for me to move. My body would ache every morning, so since the hammock arrived he's spent less time in bed with me.

DS2 still not well. I think it is viral (he says his neck hurts, headache, snotty nose) but he's hardly eaten anything all day - a quarter slice of toast for breakfast, one whole slice bread and butter for lunch, quarter slice for tea. I'm a worried mummy.

Another happy swaddler-cosleeper here....but I always feel her temp on the neck when I wake, as it also freaks me out a bit...but she sleeps so much better when swaddled! She wakes 3 times to feed and then is up at 6. I also cosleep, but dh sleeps in the study, so there is plenty of space, she doesn't actually touch me (well, mostly. Sometimes she sleeps in my arm or we fall asleep after a feed... ).One more week, I will put her in the bassinett at 6 weeks.

oooh, it's so nice yet so sad when they grow up!!! They get easier and more interesting, but never ever again a newborn to smell or sleep in one's arm....okay, I'll go cry now until reality (and the toddler) call.

Oh my god what a night we've had! Between DH and I we've been up 9 times! DS2 woke up seven times: firstly he had a bad dream, then his feet were cold, then he had another bad dream, then he had a runny nose, then he needed calpol, then he had lost his tissue for his nose, then finally he was thirsty. Toby just woke twice for feeding! He was actually a very good boy! But we are both really tired today.

Comma I am exactly where you are! Keep looking at Ioan and thinking, gosh you're growing so quickly and then mourning almost for the bit that's just gone as he is definitely my last. Then we have a night of several wakings from both DS' like last night, and reality hits home and I can't wait for both Ds' to be sleeping 7 until 7!!

BBL Hope your DS2 is on the mend soon, poor love. Feel for you, we are just coming out of a similar situation. DS1 seems to almost have shifted his cough but it's still there at night so wakes him early. Cue a lot of zombies in this house!

We had a bit of a rough night. Ioan woke at 2am with a lusty cry but it seems it was in his sleep. I didn't realise so got him out to feed. He fed for literally 3 mins then fell asleep and I couldn't wake him. Put him back in bed. He then woke at 3am and the same thing happened all over again - the feed this time maybe lasted about 6 mins. At 4am I put his dummy in and he then slept until 6. Even the 6am feed was only about 10 mins then a nappy change, and maybe 5 mins after before dozing in my bed.

It seems to me the early waking is a habit now - anyone agree? How do I stop him waking then if he doesn't need to? I'm falling asleep sitting up feeding him and waking every hour is draining.
Any tips very welcome!!

Oh it's funny really, isn't it? Feeling like this every day - you get to the point when you just have to laugh about it!!!

I was joking with DH saying if we hadn't had any children what would we be doing right now - still in bed, having gone to bed late after watching a film with some wine, a bit of sex maybe, eating breakfast in bed, thinking about the lazy day ahead... Instead we were all up, eating breakfast, holding our eyelids open, looking really ruffled, listening to baby monitor for cries, DS2 spilling his juice all over the table, DS1 prodding DS2 to get a reaction, cats everywhere asking to be fed, house a tip, bin overflowing. Which scenario would I choose? The second one by far!!

Yes, definitely have to laugh to stay sane! am definitely coping better this time around than with ds1, acceptance of the situation I think rather than wishing it was different.
Lol at your description of your house, you sure you're not standing in mine?!!
Took me 2 days to clean up Sat's dishes as we had nativity plays and baby loves disco on Sun!!!
Wouldn't change it for the world

BBL Hope DS gets better for Xmas.

Scarlotti I can sympathise with the hourly waking. I never know what kind of night we will get. It seems DS has a 3 hr fussy time from the early hours of the morning. He does sleep during this time but wakes on/off for feeds or comfort. He had a very runny tummy last night and I had to change him twice. He doesn't like to feed lying down and gets all upset, so I'm now sitting up feeding him and he seems much more contented this way. It's all trial and error atm. I'm am totally exhausted today and can feel the lack of sleep taking it's toll. DH is off work next week and has said he will take DS1 out for a couple of day trips so I can get some sleep when DS2 sleeps. I can't wait

Here here with the growing too quickly. I have a gorgeous little man, and its lovely that he's staying awake longer and starting to smile, and turning over, and recognising people and everything... But he was just so small and adorable..!!!

Struck me just now that this time six weeks ago, I'd come downstairs and logged on to share with you all that my waters had broken... Its gone so quickly!!

Can't believe we're all here now

Hi, thanks for your comments re contradicting advice. I guess my problem is that being new to motherhood i don't really feel i have that instinct thing worked out yet. Imagine if i just had mw and hv to rely on! That's a ready recipe for a meltdown in my books.

Thank heavens for you ladies for a sense of perspective.

lo's dropped in weight a bit i just don't know what i'm doing wrong. she seems to be at the boob constantly, producing lots of nappies with correct colour contents in them. Why is she not gaining? going to the maternity unit tomorrow to spend some time feeding there so they can check.

becky i tried the shushing and forehead stroking last night and Lucy fell asleep in her crib, not on me! Just wish i could make it work during the day, too. She's not a daytime napping girl yet...

I hope all the children feeling poorly will recover well in time for christmas.

Fruit we didn't get on that well with feeding laying down either so I'm sitting up now. I still managed to fall asleep last night though! Think we might be the same with the comfort waking, I might try just putting his dummy back in tonight, or even waiting to see if the cry actually develops and wakes him up as I think I get him so early I wake him if he's not iyswim.

Just had my 6 week check, all is good. Am on the list for getting my tubes tied too in 6 months time - 3 is definitely enough!

Skorpion yeah for sleep! I hope the maternity unit (is that Chippy?) help. They were great when I had problems feeding DS2 -that's when they showed me the knitted boob!

It is coooollld outside. DS2, Toby and I need to go to town later to get DS1's present. DH is coming down with DS2's cold and says he feels poorly. Oh crap.

Hey all, sorry for being slack, my american family are here, well some of them and it is hell on earth a bit hectic, so i have not been around much, we are off to our farmhouse holiday, and DH is off collecting more of the american family from the airport as we speak, it is truly christmas as I have already fallen out with BIL, this morning, we are speaking now but its a bit frosty still (mainly from me tbh ).

However, on the positive side, Reuben is now 8lb11oz, from 8lb02oz exactly one week earlier, so that explains the continued eating, eating, eating!

On the negative side, I tried to cut DDs hair to save time and she would not keep still so i took a chunk out of the back! And have had no time to get to hairdressers to fix it, it hardly notices but i am having to resist the urge to fix it myself as I can see it!

Anyway, there is no internet access in the farmhouse, so this is me for a couple of weeks, keep an eye out on the news for murder/attempted assault reports in devon that'll be us! ho ho ho!

MERRY CHRISTMAS to all my lovely supportive ladies and your new babies, enjoy your christmas i hope it is chilled, you all deserve a fantastic christmas, and make sure you congratulate yourselves with such a fab achievement, you are all great.

Speak soon xx

Pav have a wonderful Christmas and enjoy having the extended family all around Great news on his weight gain.

Ah, those knitted boobs..!! BBL hope your DH isn't coming down with man flu, you don't need that over the festive period.

Touch wood, illnesses seem to be abating in this house. Have probably jinxed it all now!

skorpion try not to worry too much, your instinct will get stronger the more confidence you build up and that just takes time. By 3 months you'll feel like a pro!
I found 'what to expect in the 1st year' a really good book, it goes month by month and answers all the common questions. Easy to dip in and out of too as a reference book.

Pavlov, that weight gain is amazing - well done!

I keep meaning to have the baby weighed, but the health visitor's clinic is only run during DS 1's naptime. I ran into my community midwife yesterday, and she ahhh'd over the baby before asking me how much he weighed, and I had to confess that I hadn't the foggiest. Whoops. He's two months old, he's outgrown the 0-3 month clothing and is currently wearing the stuff his brother was wearing at four months old, so I figure he's probably doing ok..?!

I just took him in to the doc's to check for an ear infection, as they can follow colds - he was up until 1 am last night, shrieking and shaking his head and refusing to nurse properly. I finally gave him Calpol and he went down. However, there's no sign of infection - I'm baffled!

Oh my goodness people, we have had a NAP!!! That's a first. I think she's been out for about an hour and a half. I must wake her up for a feed, but don't want to, she looks so cute. I should have napped as well but couldn't resist doing some housework - how sad is that?

scarlotti thank you. I have that book, too, it is excellent.

tamlin poor bear. It's so difficult to cope with them crying when you don't know the reason and can't do anything to ease their pain. Sounds like he's thriving though, judging by the clothes - Lucy is swamped by hers, I know I shouldn't be wishing time away (especially hers) but I really don't like that look of a baby drowning in her clothes. Just stresses how vulnerable she is.

pavlov I may be too late, but hope you have a brilliant Christmas and manage to resist the dark urges

bbl yep, it is Chippy. They've been v helpful so far. Hopr your dh gets better soon.

Have a lovely Christmas pav.

Well done with the nap skorpion! They seem to be getting more rare around here rather than more frequent. Excellent, just what we need...

I'm trying not to wish time away either, though DH and I both desperate for a glimmer that life will return to something we recognise - and something enjoyable. DH is not coping well at present - doesn't feel connected to the baby at all and resents the intrusion. Trying to help him through it, but he gets so frustrated with crying and there's so little 'play' time with the baby right now, that DH himself is trying my patience with his impatience!

Question - how does one master The Art of the Dream Feed? Especially if there is burping and changing that needs to happen in there...?? All suggestions welcome!

Hope you are all having a lovely peaceful almost-Christmas evening...

sass the idea of a dream feed is that you feed the baby while they're asleep. They should be in a light sleep so they suck when the bottle is put in their mouth. You can't really do it with the boob I don't think unless they wake up.
You can burp them afterwards, it tends to be more effective when they're sleeping as they're so relaxed.
You only need to change them at night if they're dirty, just use a bigger size nappy if you need more absorbency.

Having said all that, I tried to dream feed Ioan a few days ago and he wouldn't drink the milk!! Planning to try again tonight to get a good block of sleep.

Screaming, grizzling, screaming... can someone tell my child that the crying is supposed to PEAK at six weeks?! He's just getting worse and worse in the evenings. He WAS going to sleep before 9 for a while, but now I am dreading another 11 pm or worse, 1 am bedtime...

Oh what a day. DS is doing lots of crying and pulling away from the breast when feeding. Done some googling and think it's down to a fast let down. This also gives him lots of wind as he's crying and gulping air when trying to feed. It's been a difficult and tiring couple of days. I don't like to see my little bundle in distress like this. I've just fed him and the milk was pouring out so I stopped him feeding and waited for the milk to slow down, he latched on again and fed wonderfully. I'm hoping this is the answer to the problem. Just attempted for the second time to place him upstairs for bed time and it seems to be working.

DH went to the supermarket this evening and done our Xmas shop. Bless him. I couldn't find the strength to go. He was armed with a list and a budget, came back with everything and lots of extras and the budget was blown! I dread to think how much money he would spend if he was in charge of the food shopping. So I feel happier to have a full fridge and breakfast for DS1 in the morning.

I can't believe we are a couple of days from Xmas. I've not wrapped any presents yet!

Hope everyone has a good sleep tonight

We're nearly at six weeks and Toby has done some great crying already today! He woke for a feed at 5.45am and then promptly vomited all over me and himself so understandably would not settle back down. I've put him down now after another feed and he's just settling (fingers crossed - listening to the baby monitor on tender hooks).

So do things get better at seven weeks then? Do they realise that actually sleep is quite nice and a good place to be??

Sass your DH's reaction is very normal. I think all first-time dads react like that in some ways. The thing about small babies is that they are unpredictable, they are hard to read, they cry an awful lot, they have no sense of routine at first so your life is totally upended until they settle themselves down and you can't control them (feels like the other way around - they are making you run around them!!). And they don't play, for many weeks! My DSs are rather frustrated with that aspect too. But at six weeks-ish you'll get a smile and that is the most wonderful moment I think.

Bryn has put on another full pound in a week Is now 10lb2oz. I think I must either have super milk, or he is nibbling on the dog when we're not watching