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!

Lemontop I am convinced that they lose their natural ability to drop off easily at around this age - 2-3 weeks or so. DS2 was exactly the same and now Toby is doing it - he'll look so sleepy after a feed but then when he's put down his eyes will pop open and then his mouth and then waaaaaa. For Toby's first nap today I had to put him down, up again, down again about five times before he fell asleep properly and I was in tears by then but then he slept a good hour. At lunch time again and this time he slept 2 hours (and I had a nap). DH has taken everyone to Sainsbury's so I have the house to myself. I'm going to have a bath and then tidy up probably.

It is hard not to complain but I think we have to to keep our sanity! It's like when you're going through morning sickness and tiredness in early pregnancy, you feel bad for moaning but I think you have to... Remember the first six weeks are by far the hardest. That's what my sister told me when I was pregnant with DS1. After about six weeks things seem a bit brighter and we get smiles then giggles, then much, much more.

ErikaMaye poor Bryn. I hope he feels better soon.

BBL I agree with the natural drop off ability going around the 3 week mark. I think they start to get more sleep cycles than just newly born so still sleeping type of sleep.
Today has been a bit easier for me with his naps as we've been out and about so he's fallen asleep in his car seat. Am going to try and get out and about most days with the pram around the main lunchtime sleep and hope that he associates that then with a good kip!

weston Ioan will only take about a 10 min feed before dropping off. I tend to then change his nappy to wake him back up, then put him back on and he'll do another 10 mins ish. I think my milk comes out quickly though and he feeds well and constantly so sometimes the 10 mins is enough to fill him up for 2 hours.

Fruit we do the odd formula top up at the late night feed, am sure it buys an hour more than bf but Ioan takes longer to settle after a bottle as it doesn't tire him out as much to get the milk out.
At the moment I'm sticking to just bf as I need the release from my heavy melons! I seemed to get lucky the last two nights and have had a spell of sleep from 11 - 4 then 5 - 8 although they are peppered with the odd squeak and moan from Ioan which he sleeps through but obviously has me laying alert waiting to see if it develops into a cry!

At what point do they become more alert? Anyone remember? We get an awake period from say 8 - 10 in the morning but then not again until late afternoon/evening. Wondering if he should be more awake during the afternoon?

weston, 10min are long for Paula. She has actually two extremes. Either she spends an hour, sucking twice, staring at something or sleeping, sucking twice, staring,... OR she sucks like mad and empties one breast in 5min and falls asleep. If I try to wake her up by winding or nappy changing it doesn't help at all, she sleeps even better. But I stopped worrying as her weight gain is embarrassing and she produces tons of dirty nappies. I think that'w what counts.

Yesterday evening I was close to get mastitis I think (what's the name of the first step? "Engorgement"?). I had a really painful breast and actually I shivered, no fever though) So, I tried to feed poor Paula more often... until she vomitted everything first on me, than on my husband and the floor. Then I was empty and luckily this had destroyed her 6 hours sleep at night and I could breastfeed her more often. It seems as those regular feeds helped, the breast is fine again. But I will be really careful tonight and if Paula sleeps and refuses to wake up, I'll use my brand new breast pump.

excuse grammar and lack of caps, am typing with one hand...
aawwww, you lot... you've just made me remember why i was battling the MN addiction while pregnant. was going to pop in to see how you're all doing but waan't going to bother posting as am feeling a bit miserable.
I recovered from mastitis just in time for Lukas to get a hideous cold, and i can't sleep even when he does because i'm getting ocd with having to look at him to make sure he's breathing... if i could pop a pill and not need to sleep until next summer i so would. at the same time i know i'll be losing my marbles if i don't start chilling soon.

anyway - i'd forgotten that i'm not the only one in the world with a new baby. i didn't really want you all to be having similar issues with sleep and colds (erika, i just took lukas to a&e as i was getting so worried about his breathing) but at the same time it's a reality check for me...

if anyone else has a congested and/or spitty uppy baby, i really recommend a cot wedge. lukas is much calmer and happier with it.

01980626226

erm... that number at the end of my post is to our local out-of-hours GP... in all my one-handed cleverness i wrote it in the only place available... eye rolling emoticon
am now having a glass of red because damn it, mama needs to relax.

Oh my god, what a relief to hear that Anya is not the only newborn with a cold.

Broodzilla, I know eactly what you mean about being on constant breathing watch. I had been poking my dh to do it takes me about half an hour to get out of bed after my c section. Now I just lie awake and listen, I panic when she breathes too noisily, I panic when she breathes too quietly- can't win!

Out of interest, what did they say at a&e? I've been in two minds whether to take her or not as she doesn't have a temp.

I feel kind of responsible for her getting this cold because her getting it coincided with me giving up bf. Maybe if I'd stuck it out a while longer she may not have caught it . Let the lifetime of guilt commence!

thought it was just me - dd has a cold also..blame keeping her out to watch xmas lights turn on last nite..but she is really sleepy, sounds congested and keeps blowing bubbles??

weston that sounds just like Anya. She's been sleeping all day apart from waking for feeds. She was a bit sick after the last feed and brought up a load of gunk from her chest, so hopefully that might ease her cough a wee bit. Fingers crossed. Off to bed for another sleepless, peeping into moses basket night

hello ladies! i am officially allowed here now, altho only 1 handed typing and may not make sense!! sam thomas was born on tuesday 11.35pm, he is so gorgeous. struggling a bit with the feeding, at minute it is every half an hr but only for a few minutes, and this is the same all day and night.... i hope it doesnt last like this for long, i am so tired...

going to try and catch up on everybody's news and babies, but wanted to legitimately post on here, now i am a mummy

Sorry for the LO's that have colds. DD1 has one and is suffering a bit. At the moment Leah is ok, just a little snuffly sounding when she feeds and snoring when she sleeps, bless her!!

When do babies smile?! DD1 was about 3 weeks I think, but sure Leah is already! Its happened too many times and isn't wind! Its lovely!

Not great sleeping going on here either. Its taking her longer to settle and she wants more comforting too! I'm knackered this morning. Just waiting for dh to get up so i can go back to bed!

typing one handed is hard and so slow!

welcome aboard Kaster

keep spelling it wrong, sorry!! meant katster!

kaster hooray for Sam
The feeding will ease up - if your mik hasn't come in yet then he's just putting in his order for when it does. Once it's in you'll find he settles into more of a pattern that allows some time off from feeding.

DH is ill, D&V this morning. Needless to say last night was a bit difficult and so today I am shattered and have all the DC's to look after. Oh, and mil and pil fly down at lunchtime - never rains but it pours eh?!
DD has offered to look after DS1 for a bit so just waiting for Ioan to drop off for a nap and then hopefully I can creep back to bed for an hour or two ... please??!

Oops, spelt it wrong too and only just twigged it's Katster and not Kaster!!

Oh Scarlotti poor your household! I hope your DH is ok.

I'm tired again today but trying to be a bit more proactive with the DSs. It's hard when you just want to be absorbed in baby to think about the rest of the family. I really struggle with that. The cats are driving me nuts too! DH has put some new fence panels in the dining room to dry (surreal doesn't even cover it) and the cats think all their Christmasses have come at once, with the outside in the warm house, so they sit towering above me on these fence panels!

Well better go do some ironing while Toby has his first nap of the day. God life revolves around sleep zzzz

I think it's normal for newborns to guzzle away all the time - neither of mine have conformed to the 'every three hours' pattern that the HV likes so much, and I have too much milk if anything. When they're born, they have tummies the size of walnuts - it makes sense that they'd want frequent refills. Provided they're growing and there are lots of wet nappies, it's all fine.

Arthur had a cold for a few days - he was just very snotty and very sleepy. I didn't bother taking him to the doc or HV as he didn't have a temperature (I guess everyone wasn't kidding when they said you're more relaxed second time around!) He got it from DS 1, who keeps insisting on licking the poor thing's face.

I'm a bit today, because yesterday DH insisted on getting an extra hour's worth of nap while I chased DS 1 and nursed Arthur. Then he went to sleep two hours early. Then he had a lie-in this morning which I DID promise him, but this was before I realized that he was going to be getting so much more sleep than I was.

poor tamlin, I hope you will get a nap during the day! That is really not fair.

Sorry for those baby's and children having a cold. That must be worrying for you, especially if it is for the first time. Paula has a slightly blocked nose but I wouldn't call it a cold.
Had a nice morning so far as actually I was allowed for the first time to have a nap while my husband took care of Paula.

Brood glad to hear its not just me leaping out of bed every ten minutes to make sure the baby is breathing. He seems a bit better today, thankfully, though still very congested. The nasal drops I got for him seem to be working, although I feel so nasty giving them to him DP and I are both ill with the same thing now, just to make things more interesting!

Scarlotti sounds rather hectic - I hope you got a nap!!

Katster yey! Welcome and congrats.

Southern I've been wondering that. Bryn will be three weeks on Wednesday (blimey that's gone so quickly...) and he seems to look straight at us and smile sometimes, and not when he's windy... Hmm... I hope he's smiling at least

The insomnia aspect of my ME has flared up I'm so tired grumbles

im doing that too, Erika. Just found myself going to stroke her face, she is napping very peacefully, a little too quiet for my likeing. I think if i could survive without sleep i would probably end up staying up and just watching her all night.

anyone else getting lots of headaches??

no headache here. could you just be dehydrated because of bf? i once needed a whole liter when i got up in the morning

DH is back at work tomorrow so I am in charge of all three children by myself - oh my god. And I have to get everyone to school and nursery and back three times in the right clothes with dinner money, etc. Oh cripes. Wish me luck!

BBL, good luck
I'm sure you will be fine. You've already managed once with a toddler and a newborn. And having two or three is certainly no difference (I know, I've only got one so far and am already struggeling to get her and myself ready... I am dreaming to leave the house in something else than jeans and a dirty t-shirt )

The best purchase I have made is a Fisher Price Dwell Studio Cradle Swing - it works a treat!! I'm able to make the dinner, well warm up a microwave meal!!

Good luck BBL You'll do fine!!

I keep getting a sore throat of a night, I think it's dehydration as well.

it is daunting the first day on your own. am finding getting ds's clothes out and working out what i want Annabelle in the night before helps greatly in getting ready and being on time.