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!

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas

I'm here on Christmas Day because I've had 3 1/2 hours sleep and I'm feeling really, really sorry for myself. It is my birthday and Christmas Day and I feel like shit! Yeah! Toby just woke up a lot, kicking off his blankets, and I got a splinter in my finger below the nail and I can't get it out and it hurts. Owww. So struggled to sleep last night between Toby wakings. Ahhhhh. Everyone else, including Toby, now soundly asleep.

bbl, I'm here too. With possibly less sleep than you and feeling depressed as well. I'm so sorry you are feeling blue on your birthday - and Christmas day. Can you use a hot compress of some kind to work the splinter out?

I don't know what's happening with Bean at all - he hasn't slept properly in about 15 hours. He'll fall asleep at the boob, not having had a proper feed, I can't wake him up, I put him down and 15 mins later he's awake again. In sheer desperation we've just given him a dummy, which makes me nervous because of nipple confusion and masking hunger and all that. Ooooo, i hope it wasn't the wrong thing to do. I'm knackered though. Anyone know how we can get him out of this cycle of short feeds and short naps?? *sigh

hi sass and bbl big hugs to you both .

sass have you tried expressing at all and giving some milk by a bottle? When ben has been snaking lots we've given the occassional bottle as it's easier for him to take so he can get filled up and have a decent sleep (still only 3.5 hours) then we've gone back on to boob. We've also used a bottle to top up after he's finished on me. He's sometimes had 4 mins boob then fallen asleep, I've tickled his feet, face, neck, blown in his face and he's managed another minute, changed his nappy and managed another 2 mins and then he's taken 20 or 30mls from a bottle. It's hard work and a bit demoralising but it means he can then get back into the swing of things. It might be worth a try.

bbl happy birthday. I hope you're sleeping now, maybe with the help of some paracetamol?

We've just had the most non-christmassy lunch - cheese on toast. I'm now going to go upstairs and sort out maternity / non maternity clothes maybe it'll be more festive tonight, I'm even going to have a glass of wine!

I hope you've all had a good day, especially you, Becky - happy birthday

Aside from the fact that Bryn has decided that sleeping is for losers, I have had the most fantastic day. I have been spoilt (to my embarrassment, I must admit), have cuddled with my two favourite men in the world, cooked my first roast dinner (), have had some champagne, painted my nails and had a bath.

Tomorrow we're spending the day wwith DPs family. Which will be... Interesting...

Love and blessings to all you and yours! x

Merry Christmas everyone. Hope you are all having a nice time and getting some sleep when you can.

Sass Just wanted to say, I could have written your post a few weeks a go. The constant feeding/snacking won't go on for too much longer - how old is bean? My DS was doing the same and i was stuck on the sofa or in bed feeding and more feeding! I didn't have a chance to do anything during this time. It felt like it would never end and I thought about giving up on the bf. It then became easier overnight and fell in to place. Try hang on in there I gave DS a dummy as well as he likes to suckle and would go on the boob and have a feed, but stay there and use my nipple like a dummy. DH gives him a top up of formula (advice from hv)as I was exhausted. This worked well and he has that of a night and sleeps for a good 3hrs. Lots of bf mums do this. I felt so guilty over it at first, but a happy baby = a happy mummy and it works for us.

Hi guys

I had an interesting Christmas. DH had the lurgy, I was ill through over-tiredness and lack of sleep, at 9,30pm on Christms Eve I managed to get a huge splinter under my finger nail and couldn't get it out (hence the lack of sleep Christmas Eve night) and went to the local walk-in medical centre to get it pulled out (bloody painful I can tell you). So I had a bit of a meltdown in the afternoon as I was sooo tired so the in-laws took DS1 and DS2 home with them for the night. I thought I was coping so well with three - but Christmas really buggered that all up!!! Otherwise we had a great day and I had some great pressies.

I hope you all had a good day and more sleep!

Sass just read your post - hope you had a better night last night it's hard work, isn't it? But think what next Christmas will be like - our little beans will be 1 year old and playing with the cardboard and wrapping paper!

Laugs I think I didn't thank you for the link! It was fabulous to hear it.

fruitpastels A snacking survivor! I'm glad to hear it does all even out - I'll hang on for that. Last night was actually a much better night - I got about 3 2-hour chunks of sleep and bean went into his basket immediately after each feed and right to sleep with no fussing. Used the dummy twice, but it looks like he can take it or leave it. What a good little bean! (PS. Hoping to have a name for him today!)

Ahhh, formula top ups. My family has been advising me to do this and I've been resisting for fear of nipple confusion and interrupting milk supply and all that. But if it's just a bit extra after he's been on the boobs, and just at night - it should be okay, shouldn't it? how do you knwo how much to give them?

BBL - thanks for the hug and right back at you. Do you feel better for the respite from the older kiddies? Sounds like a great Christmas present to me, to have a bit quiet with your DH and new babe. Hope the finger is better as well.

HOpe you all had a lovely xmas day and were spoiled as much as you deserve to be.

xx

fairybex - good advice. I tried expressing yesterday but only got 20 mls. Hmmm. I wonder why...something new to worry about! Thankfully he fed better last night - full feeds and stayed awake for them. I'll try the expressing again today. When is the best time to do it?

Sass For me, I find expressing time consuming and I do forget to do it, but I have a 4 yr old at home and its hard to relax. I don't seem to get much milk out of my boobs when I express, but when DS feeds I can here it flowing out and he's gaining weight- so I think my pump isn't up to the job and babies are much better at it! I give 5ozs of formula (he is 8 weeks old and a big boy), sometimes he only takes half but other days drinks the lot. I started this about 3 weeks ago and felt my milk supply was up and running at this time. He is still getting 10 feeds from me every 24 hours. He has his top up and I can go to bed whilst DH feeds him. It's all personal choice and what works for you. I'm sure you are getting through the worst of it now

sass try expressing in the morning, just after a feed and don't worry about the amount you get, it'll increase a little each day if you express regularly.

I had to top up ben with expressed milk each feed when he was in special care - the top up ranged from 20ml to 50ml and if i didn't have enough then we used formula. 3 weeks after being discharged he is happy with boob, bottles of expressed milk and bottles of formula so don't worry too much I think they are more robust than some hv and books would have us believe.

I still try and express each day to build up supplies in the freezer and to have dh do some feeds as well.

good luck

It was really nice actually having just Toby last night, esp in the evening, it was so quiet in the house and a really nice way to finish Christmas day.

Today though I feel poorly. I think I have DH's lurgy. Ahhhh crap! Must go find some medication.

We're just chilling out today doing nothing at all really except playing with our presents.

Hi all, hope you had a lovely Xmases with hopefully a few hours of sleep here and there! I am sitting in my default mode of one boob being dripped into a sterilised pot (although just realised I can't express and type: I'd need 3 hands. Bah humbug!) DH has taken DD to town to try and get me a breast pump. He is sure the shops are open so we'll see! It's nice to have a break anyway.

Becky I hope the DSs let off a bit of steam at the in-laws. I also had the Not Coping meltdown yesterday, but hey, some completely normal people do that every Christmas. What stresses me most is the thought of doing it alone. DH has to work on the 30th and 31st, so I've decided to go to my parents' for a few days then. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that by the 5th, when he's back at work for good, I'll be in a better way with the whole feeding situation.

Comma it's great to know the thrush didn't affect you and DD too much. I think the only reason I've been told to express is because my nipples/ areolae are raw and sore, so it's just to help me feed rather than clear it up. However, I've found it impossible so far to express enough (by hand) for all his feeds, so I'm putting him to the boob occasionally too. I'm going to go back and try a different GP when the surgery reopens after Christmas.

Sass I find the easiest time to express is first thing in the morning, but that's probably because it's after my longest break from feeding, so I'd go for straight after DS' longest break. Don't worry if you can't express much though, I exclusively breastfed DD (my older child)for ages but could never express more than a few mls. I don't know why. I've also started using a dummy occasionally. I'm hoping not to become too reliant on it, but it's been useful for appeasing him for a few minutes while I try to squeeze a few more drops of milk into his bottle!

Ooh I can't wait for the day when my mind is occupied with something more entertaining than the ins and outs of milk, milk, milk

Laugs DS1 was born November and I remember that first Christmas as very hard going and DH worked between Christmas and NY then so I stayed at my sister's as I didn't want to be home alone. Hopefully things will be more settled for you in Jan.

So everyone to talk about something not at sll to do with babies: what was your best and worst pressies?

Mimne were:
Best - a day glass blowing from DH. Sooooo excited.
Worst: a magic scalf thing - have you seen the adds? Or a fondou set.

BBL big hug coming your way x

I have sent dp to bed as his eyes are all swollen due to lack of sleep. He did only wake me for feeds between 11.30pm last night and 10.30am this morning so got 3 lots of 3 hours sleep last night whilst he did all the changing and cooing and rocking. Feel like a new woman.

Also managed the S word on Christmas eve although laughed all the way through as I have never felt so unsexy. DP works his hand up to your breast to discover... soggy wet breast pads, works his hand downwards to caress... bulky maternity pad nestled in giant pants. All very Bridget Jones I'm ashamed to say.

Hope you all had good Christmas's

Wow Ninja impressed! We haven't done it yet.

It's amazing the difference a bit of sleep makes isn't it Ninja? I've had a two hour nap this afternoon and feel on top of the world! By the way, can I hijack the thread slightly to ask which cheap affordable areas of Bristol are decent enough? We are thinking of moving closer to family as part of the grand masterplan.

becky your glass blowing sounds so cool. My best presents were a canvas print of James aged ten minutes (I was too out of it at the time to notice it had been taken) and 1001 children's books to read before you grow up. Worst was the realisation that I've reached that stage in life where everyone thinks I want nothing more than to snuggle up: I got 2 scarves, a dressing gown, 2 pairs of slippers, a pair of gloves, all from different people. It's probably true though.

We managed the Big S too - and although its not the first time we've done it since, its the first time it felt completely normal again

May I ask if anyone elses little one has teeth buds showing? Bryn's gums are so white, I think it could be why he's such a grump at the moment!!

Best present - the GORGEOUS necklace from DP, and the beautiful bracelet from his mum. Though the House boxset (also from DP) is a pretty close run thing too

Worst - a box of bath salts from my bedroom from last year. From mum

Baaaa I've defo got DH's lurgy - had a night of shivers and sweats. But I'm up now, feel a bit brighter today, off to 'in-laws for lunch later.

Hi all

We had a lovely Christmas here too, very relaxing as no visitors so fine to stay in pj's for hours! Managed a few glasses of champers during the day too

Re formula sass, we did in hospital as he was so big. We used a cup to stop any confusion so that's an option. Hold it to the top lip and he'll lap the milk, you need a shallow flexible one. Think petrie dish more than teacup.
We've also used bottles though and dummies so I wouldn't worry about confusion too much. He's now exclusively bf so you can switch back, just make sure every feed starts on the boob even if it's just a minute so your body gets the message.

BBL hope you feel better soon

Pressies:
bset - wii fit and 10 pairs of sexy pants so I can bin the maternity/granny pants

worst - next smellies - and the person who gave them to me gave me the exact same thing last year!!

Got the House boxset too - never watched any so looking forward to trying that!

Next year, I would like some sleep for Christmas, please. We're back at the waking-every-two-hours malarkey. Last night, he didn't fall asleep until eleven, woke at twelve, two and four to nurse, and then DS 1 woke at 5.45, shouting joyously. DH and I are zombies.

My family arrive tomorrow for lunch, and my younger brother and sister are going to stay on with us for a few days as we don't see them very often (they're uni students at Brighton and Durham). We plan to make them take both children out in the pushchair for a loooong walk while we SLEEP.

Tamlin you poor things. Has Arthur reached the 12 week growth spurt? Might explain the extra wakings, lots of threads on here in the bf forum about babies who'd settled into a pattern and going longer at night suddenly waking lots around 12 weeks to up the supply. I think sending out your siblings is a marvellous idea (I live in Brighton too!)

We did the deed for the first time on xmas eve too - wasn't the best in the world as think I was paranoid it would hurt, made it a self fulfilling prophecy really. Sigh. We spent the night together too in the same bed, and were both like zombies the next day. Think we manage to stay sane as both of us manage a decent amount of sleep when we're apart.
DD is at her Dad's, DH has taken DS1 out to the park and I'm trying to get DS2 to go to sleep in his pram. What's the betting that just as I get him off, DH and DS1 will return shattering my window of some alone time in the lounge

We've spent the day at the in-laws and after lunch I just went upstairs to bed! I felt so poorly. I'm drugged up again now though so feel ok. Toby asleep in carseat and stiringas I type so better go

Tamlin you poor sleep-deprived thing. Definitely put your bro and sis to good use on getting the littlies out of the house for a bit. Sleeeeeeep is the best, even a little nap makes such a difference doesn't it?

Hugs to you, poor, dosed up BBL

Had a nice time here over Xmas although so many people meeting LO for the first time that I got severely cuddle-deprived and have been feeling quite down and sobby - I seem to only get to have Rosa when she needs a feed or is screaming for some other reason. Same for DH! Aunties, uncles, Grannies and Grandpas and friends of the above all seem to get a look-in for the good times before us. Sigh.

Don't know if related or coincidence but she has decided to start showing her bolshy side too! From being very calm and placid and chilled for first three weeks (just long enough to lull us into a false sense of security...) she is now being a right Grumblestiltskin. Feel a bit hopeless as I never seem to be abel to settle her apart from feeding while DH coos for a bit and she is an angel again (feels like, know it's not really,...) Currently employing the method favoured by many - strapping to my chest in the babybjorn while I get on with cooking dinner and making the bed for my bezzie mate who's coming to stay - yay! At least that's something to look forward to!

Oh - if sleep-addled brain permits Tamlin and any others who know this neck of the woods well - where should we go for a wee drive into the Oxfordshire country with my friend? We will be snow-hunting! My mum, sister and dad are all snowed in completely up in Scotland and we have nada