Nov 09 and we're feeling fine, feeding, burping, not enough sleeping - that's us!

[BeckyBendyLegs]

Just thought I'd better create a new thread.

Raggie how about a trip to Burford?

scarlotti glad your night went well. Your comment about being a cool mum made me laugh - DD was saying how cool her daddy was this morning. He was made up! (she's 3)

skorpion I have the tommee tippee pump too. So do you feed Lucy from your breast and pump after? My nipples are really burning again today so would really like to express more. I will try the warming trick, thanks venus.

tamlin James saves most of his poos for night-time, so no option but to change here, but if you can't get on with the usual Huggies/ Pampers (I do think they're more absorbent than most own brands) then I've heard Lidl nappies are very good too.

Did anyone see this in the news yesterday? govern ability to breastfeed

helips yes, they are brothers, it was awful to watch. over something so small. but it being in front of the kids was the worst bit. had my three and a half yr old ds asking me why uncle had hit daddy and made his nose all bloody. so im guessing he did see everything. he said "uncle has been very naughty hasnt he mummy." had to say yes.
sleepless not sure what will happen with bil, dh doesnt want to get the police involved and neither will i, but dh doesnt want anything to do with him any more and i dont want him near the kids so he's extradited(sp?) himself from us by doing this.

That link was wrong. I meant govern ability to breastfeed

Agh! here

Tamlin I have to change dd in the middle of the night, (she's in disposibles) otherwise she's wet when i get her up. am putting her into size three already, am suprised as only just moved her up to two's two weeks ago.

yes, read that yesterday laugs i was suprised by it.

BBL it will get better I promise but it will take time to heal. My friend is a hypnotherapist, would you like me to send you a copy of his relaxation cd? It might be something you can do when you can't sleep that just takes your mind off the worrying about not sleeping vicious circle.

Laugs no idea really what to train as. Just not sure I can hack media with kids, I just can't put my work first anymore and I don't think dp was coping too well with my all or nothing routine either. Ideally I'd like to side step into script writing but not very practical from a money point of view.

Night time nappy changer here I'm affraid, has just become part of my nightly routine.

Tamlin we use disposables here, size 2 in the day and size 3 at night as the 2's only guarantee him for about 5 hours. I change him at the 4am feed but literally just swap the nappy over and that's to rouse him more to feed than because he needs it. Going to phase this out though as now dream feeding ebm at 11pm so hoping he starts to reduce the 4am feed.

Trikken so when things like this happen in families. Don't worry about your DS seeing it though, it's very black and white to him - uncle is very naughty for hitting daddy.

Laugs another thread had picked up on the daily mail story on this about formula being as good as bf. Could do without reading things like that as makes you doubt all the hard work is worth it.

Tamlin re the 4 month wakening comment - is that down to baby suddenly looking about instead of feeding properly in the day and so feeding more at night to make up the calories? If so, what can/did you do about it with your DS1? I've never bf that long - stopped with DD at 3 months as she was weaned (3 months was the advice in those days!) and with DS1 at 4 weeks as it didn't work. Can we express too in advance of the 12 week growth spurt to try and up the production? Would love to pre-empt the possibility of losing the sleep I do get...

WANTED: HOME FOR FOUR WEEK OLD, LONG, GINGER BABY BOY. COMES WITH ALL THE GEAR.

Yes that's it. We're getting rid of the Bean. Neither DH nor I can handle nights of 1 - 1.5 hour feeds with minimal sleep in between. I thought things are supposed to get better, not worse?!!?!

He naps well in the afternoon and evening, then it deteriorates from about 1:00 am onwards, wriggling and grunting beyond belief. And he's WIDE awake from about 9:00 am to 12:00 (feeding every half hour) when we generally take him for a walk and he falls asleep in his pram.

Ohhhhh, I despair. Please help. Any ideas welcome. The only thing I can think is to start moving to formula feeding so a) he's fuller longer and b) both of us can feed him.
sigh sniff

That's funny scarlotti, I found it sort of reassuring, but I suppose I am at a bit of a make or break point and it's nice to know it's not the end of the world if I give up. I haven't read the Daily Mail take on it, but as with everything else in life, I'm sure they've managed to bring out the worst! (BTW, I do think all the hard work is worth it, even if the health benefits turn out to not be as great as we think. In the long run, it seems much easier than bottle feeding, less faff, quicker to get out of the house, and more sleep)

Ninja script writing would be amazing. If only you could take a test, qualify in it, and get a job!

sorry for the me post.

P.P.S. Interesting article scarlotti. Like Laugs, I found it reassuring - if I do have to throw in the towel (still battling mastitis), it won't be the end of the world.

I am likely not going back to work (was a training manager and leadership trainer in a law firm), mostly because we are likely moving to Canada. In my next career, I would LOVE to be a community librarian - I love books and reading and promoting literacy, I love the creativity and energy of running programmes and events, etc. Not sure how likely it is though! Not sure I could handle going back to school for a librarian degree. Anyway, back to my moping...

Hmm Sass, how about taking him for a walk earlier, to try and get him to nap earlier, then try and keep him awake in the evening so that he sleeps in the night? Don't be misled by those who are getting evenings and nights with sleepy babies, theirs are much older than ours. I think at 4 weeks the ideal is for him to cluster feed in the evening, then hopefully have longer sleeps through the night.

It's tough isn't it? I love the description of him as LONG - that's sold me

Laugs v interesting article - sass, sorry you are struggling, but as you say, FF is not a terrible solution!!
Also havea baby who likes to feed every 1.5-2hrs.... Feel unable t do anything except look after him, whereas DH seems to think I should be going out/doing things. The only thing I want to do, given the choice, is sleep! And have 4 sets of visitors starting tonight,all expecting to be fed!!

BBL I am so sorry you had another crap night. In my exp, ADs do take a couple of weeks to kick in, so do hang in there.

TOK am not dressed... am jealous of your organisation!!

Feeling v anxious over here... Sam always been sicky/hiccupy, and obviously struggles with wind/tummy ache, but have stupidly googled and found article on malrotation of the bowel and am worried it's this..... please tell me it is normal for babies to get tummy ache where they pull legs up/pull faces and do bits of sick? he doesn't seem bothered by the sick.... has anyone tried colief?

ps DS is awake since 8am and screaming if I put him down, so those suggestions were very much hopeful rather than tried-and-tested!

Have you read American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld? That made me want to be a school librarian. I love libraries too, only I hang around in my local one so much they all know me - very off-putting as I feel like they're judging my book choices! I saw that book Babyproofing Your Marriage that someone recommended, but was embarrassed to take it out in case I got lots of concerned looks

BTW ninja I keep meaning to recommend books but I can't remember any - anyone else found a black hole where their brain used to be? Or it could be that the Xmas tree (still up) is obscuring the main bookcase... 2 easy reads that won't upset you if feeling sensitive: Prep, by Curtis Sittenfeld and My Latest Grievance by Elinor Lipman, both in the adolescent angst vein of Catcher in Rye. I can send latter if you like?

katster I think that's normal. Mine does it too.

Right must go and pretend to do something else!

Thanks Laugs. am going to try colief. although having got bit of expressed milk from fridge to right temp, he is now asleep and forgotten hystrical screams of hunger 5 mins ago....

Tamlin I've not ordered reusable nappies yet , but the Nature ones I'm using seem to cope overnight - which round here is 10pm to aprox 6am. We only change him if there's a whiff of poo because it really wakes him up and makes it harder to settle.

Hobnob poor baby, you and hall carpet! When do you see your HV to discuss the upset tummy? How are you coping with the restricted diet?

sass Oh dear, that's a very unsettled baby you have there. Very tempted to take him off your hands as I always hoped my LO would be a scrummy ginger, despite the fact both myself and his father are distinctly brown haired! Is he growing and putting on weight well?

baby training
We had a great first night. James still woke several times, but it was so much easier to get him to settle again. I really got lots more sleep even if it's still in odd shaped lumps. A really positive start. We've had a night time routine with him since the first week (bath & massage at 6 followed by feed, then woken for last feed at 10.30pm) and he's now seven and a half weeks and just seems ready for the self soothing thing.
It could still go horribly wrong, but all good so far. Have even managed to put him down for a morning nap with out any crying at all. The quiet is actually a little unnerving...

laugs I don't put her on the breast for now, just express and bottle feed her. I know that the stimulation is much better when done by the baby, but I just can't bear it at the moment, too painful. I did have a couple of mornings when I put her on and immediately burst to tears because of the pain, can't face it anymore. I just want to heal and then try again. I'm hoping that the milk will adjust again, as in the growth spurts.

sass I started topping up when Lucy was three weeks. I express 90-120ml combined from both boobs six times a day. I have a bottle of ebm in the fridge, first feed her that, then top up (usually 60ml) and then pump away for the next feed. I have no idea how this affects my supply at the moment, all I know is when I bf'd exclusively she was not gaining weight, as soon as I started topping up she put on loads. I am trying not to think that the problems may have just been due to milk supply still adjusting, don't really want to dwell and doubt my decisions again. It works at the moment and I'm sticking with it.

tamlin we use Little Ones from Sainsbury's, size 1. They do leak sometimes though. Can't wait to start using the washable ones, but I think I'll let Lucy grow a little bit more.

laugs not another change of opinion if breast milk is better! Very surprised by that.

sass so sorry to hear you're struggling. I only have experience of intolerant/refluxy babies so not sure I can help. My advice would be to try a dummy at night times for settling before/instead of feeding every time and to make sure he's tanking up in the evening. I literally don't move from the sofa between about 6-8pm and 11pm-1am. Isla will generally sleep through after that, but DD1 would never have done, so you have my sympathies. It's crippling. Have you tried taking paracetamol before trying to feed?

tamlin we don't change during the night and her cloth nappy is sodden in the morning. Her sleeping bag is sometimes damp, but it doesn't seem to bother her and I'm happy to wash it along with the nappies so I'm reluctant to start getting up when I don't have to!

katster again, my experience is only of refluxy/intolerant babies, but mine suffer(ed) everything you describe. Ask your HV about it. If she suggests infant gaviscon tell her it's a PITA to administer to breast-fed babies and that some GPs are happy to prescribe peptac (1ml 4x a day) even though it's not licensed for under 6's. Other option is ranitidine which works well but is pretty alcoholic!

Well, it was only -14 degrees today up here this morning! Looking forward to today's predicted high of -2, but not optimistic since it's still -11. Nursery still closed, and I'm also not optimistic that it will open next week either given the forecast .

I took Isla to the GP today and she tested the black bits in her nappy with a dipstick thingy and they were negative for blood. She has no idea what they are, but since Isla is otherwise well (apart from her constant discomfort) she is happy to leave it but we've to get back in touch if she becomes more unsettled. I'm still finding spots of poo I missed on the stairs...

re. the article:

'He argues that it is the hormone balance in the womb which explains both a mother's ability to breastfeed and any apparent health benefits of a baby who is breastfed - rather than the breast milk itself.'

So in essence they're saying that if you happen to have a high testosterone pregnancy your baby is at a disadvantage health-wise? I it that hard to believe that the uterine environment has such long-term health implications. But hey, what do I know? I just love the snuggly experience of it

BBL big hugs for you today. You're doing great. The sleep will come.

Trikken I hope things get sorted with BIL. It is such a shame that these battles should happen in families but it always does.

Laugs thanks for the article..reassuring for me. However my right boob has decided to kick start again..this is after such a quite week, charlotte has decided to cry again and the boob went on over drive! RE black hole where brain lived..YES...no such thing as brain anymore..if I'm not feeding one, I'm reading and playing with the other..i need an easier job..investment banking sounds peasy now.

Scarlotti you seem uber organised and in a routine..am envious..really trying hard but can't seem to wake charlotte up at 7 enough to get her to take her 4 ounces. Plus its too tempting to get DD1 up and watered first after my shower, then get Charlotte up..

venus very pleased that the training going well..will try that this evening..my mother is here for 2 weeks so I can get things sorted re a self soothing, content baby...(yeah right she thinks!!!)

Morning all

That's two of you who have suggested reflux... Maybe I'll mention it when I get to see the doctor. He does arch his back an awful lot, but I've mainly been putting that down to impatience - he definitely takes after his dad in the respect of "I want this now - why is it not happening?"

Pav that must be so frustrating for you. And for him, not working. I very nearly applied for a job the other day, just because it feels like I haven't done anything with my life for so long. Its bound to make you both that bit more irritable. I really hope it gets better, and that he finds something soon.

TOK and Ninja - sorry to hear about your stitches, hope you're both feeling better now.

Trikken hope your DH is okay. Just what you need during a day out

Helips I know what you mean... I don't generally drink that much - but right now I really want to just because I can't I'd rather enjoy just a single glass of wine when it wasn't timed so it didn't fall within an hour of a feed even!!! Ah well. Its worth it Hope your DH wasn't in too much of a state.

Katster - babies tend to bring their knees up when they have wind, and a little bit of posseting is normal; just means they've over eaten slightly. They're gluttonous by nature, so if its there, they'll eat it!

Bryn seems to think the Farmville music on facebook is the best song to go to sleep to Either that, or "Teenage Wasteland" by The Who...