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?

We found it a bit of a rude shock financially when I went on maternity leave with DS 1, and an even greater shock when it ran out (which coincided with DH's redundancy). You DO learn to tighten your belts right up - although I'll admit that moving out of Oxford and into a much smaller house in the middle of nowhere helped!

Venus, Nick Clegg agrees with you re. Gina Ford's routines. And given Mumsnet's history with GF, that's all I'm going to say on that topic. Clegg on Ford

DS 1 is ill with some sort of horrible cold - he keeps coughing and coughing, and then throwing up all his Calpol and juice everywhere. He ate some yoghurt today, and that's it for the last two days - I'm starting to worry. He also keeps running a fever, so I'm permanently shoving Calpol down him or bathing the poor kid. I really, really hope that the baby doesn't get it...

...speaking of the baby, he's asleep on his fleece and LAUGHING in his sleep. I don't know what's going on his head, but he's smiling and burbling away with his eyes closed.

Tamlin that's adorable

Wow maman2tom I can't believe you are going back to work so soon! How old will your baby be? I don't think I'd feel human enough to work in 2 months time never mind 2 weeks! I hope you enjoy this week and make the most of your time with your lo.

Tamlin I hope your ds is feeling better soon and that he keeps his germs to himself!

Has anyone booked a holiday yet for this year? Where are you all going and what accommodation are going to (ie hotel, caravan, b&B) Will you do self catering? Sorry for all the questions, I'm just trying to book something to suit all 5 of us but not sure what

Ursi Henry has his jabs on Thursday and I'll be giving him calpol straight after just as I did with my older 2. However if your happy that Paula is ok without then don't give it, its only a precaution and some people don't like to give calpol to babies so don't feel pressurised into it.

Arrgh!!! I'm booked onto a 1st baby parenting group, mostly so I can meet local mums, and I totally forgot to go to the first meeting today. Was even in town when it was taking place. Arrgh!!

erikamaye good suggestion re Beansprog, very useful site. I've bookmarked it for future use.

claired I certainly try and stuff my baby with milk before bed. It's feed-bath-feed at 6pm and feed-change nappy-feed at 10.30pm. More success last night; 11pm - 3.40am then 4.10 to 6.30. Hurrah!

Way to go raggie! It's amazing the difference it makes isn't it?

DD2 still on a 10:30-10:30 night time sleep cyle thing, any tips on trying to get her to go earlier in evening? tried the waking in the morning but that doesnt work!

drying to know what the seahorse thing - sorry if missed it is there a link??

tamlin I hope DS feels a bit brighter soon. I thought Nick Clegg came across well in that article, though GF is right that you either love her or hate her and politicians don't normally try to divide their potential voters like that.

I never tried Ford. I even found The Baby Whisperer too strict, and I think she's considered the soft version. My theory was that I wanted my child to be flexible and go with the flow, so I had to be too. Luckily DD is quite easy-going and that worked for us. I'm not sure if that's how it always works though and the truth is I'm not an organised enough person to have a proper routine. Stuff gets done, but rarely when it should be. I don't know how we'll cope when DD starts school... She'll probably hate me because I don't iron clothes, send her out without brushed hair etc.

Maman It sounds like you're having a stressful day and also that they are very strict in France! I can't imagine the school having a problem with accidents, unless they are totally unreasonable. I hope you can relax a bit and enjoy your last week alone with the baby. Are you back to work full-time?

Tigger I haven't booked a holiday but have been looking at things like Eurocamp as a possibility: the benefits of self-catering (ie not sitting in a hotel room watching TV every night from 6pm) but with facilities as well. I went a few times with my family when I was a child and remember it as being good. Otherwise I'd definitely go self-catering. Where are you going to go?

Oh, teachers or parents with older kids, can you help me? DD is showing an interest in learning to read. She goes around saying things like "A, B, Q. I'm just spelling crocodile" ; she looks at words on signs etc and asks what they say. I've seen teachers on other threads on here complaining about parents who've taught their children incorrectly and then they start school and have to learn all over again. Any advice or good books you'd recommend? I don't want to push her too much, but also not to hold her back.

Yes, finally today has been a good day!! No accidents so heaps of praise from teacher ( and a present from mummy!) Its stupid but i feel like a weights been lifted of my shoulders (i'm totally neurotic, does it show!)

Laugs The french are totally mental, all children have to be completley potty trained to start school or they risk being excluded and my ds1 wasn't even 3 when he started!!I even had to have a certificate from a doctor to say he was potty trained!!

Ursi In france, we get 10 weeks ML after the birth so LO will be 2.5 months. It's really hard to leave them as he still seems so little. Thats why i'm starting him next week even though i'm still at home as with ds1 i remember bursting into tears the first couple of days i left him!!

Oh holidays i'd love one!! this year we're hopeing to have a free(ish) holiday by staying with friends!! I spent all my childhood holidays camping in brittany and we always had a great time! What i'm planning to do in the future! We went to club med when ds1 was 2.5 years and it wasn't a great success. Hotel and food were excellent but basically you're up at the crack of dawn, eating really early surrounded by all the other parents and kids and evenings are spent in the room being quiet (so as not to wake up dc!!)We came back more exhausted then when we went!!!

Hooray for your DS maman! And relax...

ursi you may find Paula is waking more now in the evenings as she's more aware of her surroundings now she's older. Ioan sleeps far better now he goes to bed than the last week when he was on my lap.
Immunisations do knock them out for a day or two so nothing to worry about. They tend to react more to the second or third set so maybe save using calpol until then if you prefer? There's no set rule so go with your instinct.

raggie I pin his arms under the sheet to stop them flailing about in the air!

Tamlin interesting article - funny as that's how it made me feel too. I like the idea of routine but when he wasn't doing what the book said I felt stressed and started to doubt myself. Threw the book out the window for daytimes and I feel much better!!
Arthur just sounds so adorable laughing on his fleece
Hope DS1 feels better soon, poor lamb.

Venus your evening routine is the same as ours, except at 10:30 I just change nappy and feed as I'm lucky if he wakes up properly at all! Are you going to try and extend the middle of the night feed now? I'm hoping to start pushing it back from 4am as I know he can go longer, just wondering how best to do it?

weston we just bit the bullet and put him to bed. He used to nap and feed from around 7 until around 10 each night then have a long patch of sleep. It's taken 3 nights so far and he now seems happy to go to bed at 7ish and sleep until 10:30ish, then goes back down until 4 etc. He seems to have adjusted the daytime himself. I was hoping he'd have a long sleep in the day but he seems to like shorter naps but more of them. I figure he can do what he likes in the day as long as he fits in with my timetable at night

Laugs good on you for being so flexible, I wish I could be more so. I struggle to make plans for things if I don't know when sleeps/feeds will happen - things like hair cuts are much more enjoyabvle if he's sleeping and nigh on impossible if he suddenly needs feeding!
We found DS1 got really into the Fun with Phonics series on the BBC. You can buy the DVD's too I think. They follow the same way of teaching as the schools (i.e. saying 'sss' for s instead of 'suh' if that makes sense) which is hte best way for then breaking down words. We haven't pushed him but as he showed an interest we tapes the programmes.

maman great news on Ds' day - you must be so relieved. Will echo the others though in that it sounds very strict there. Surely they must understand some children regress when a new baby arrives?

We're going to book a holiday very soon - and will probably go for a half board in the sun style. We've done Eurocamp ones (although Siblu.com is better and cheaper ime) and whilst they seem more flexible we found still having to cook and clean wasn't really a holiday and when you take into account all the food you buy (with rubbish e3xchange rates) it wasn't any cheaper. I've holidayed abroad with dc's a few times and never stayed in my room from 6pm! Either I sit on the balcony in the balmy evening with a glass of vino and we play cards/read a book/etc. or we take the smallest one down to the entertainment in a buggy. Last year DS was 3.5 and didn't go to bed until 9pm and then slept in until 8am. We just wing it a bit more and relax our routine.
Last year we did a Thomson holiday and they have brilliant facilities for babies - air conditioned soft play areas, baby changing and feeding places etc.
It's all a personal preference thing but as we have other dc's, tha package places work better for us as the others still have entertainment and we feel we get a break for the domestic chores

Thanks Scarlotti I'll look for the Fun With Phonics series. Any idea when it's on TV? I don't know if I've done well for being flexible, more like a routine that I couldn't keep to would stress me out! Each to their own, eh?

I don't mind cooking on holiday, but I would love one where you got your laundry done for you.

BTW Maman after a week or two back to normal, DD has had 3 accidents today! Grr...

Hi, hope you're all well.

maman how mean, only the 10 weeks, we always hear about the French having it so fantastic with the bank holidays, three hour lunches and a month off in the summer, I suppose not so for mums. I hope it will go well for you and LO, sounds like a good idea to have an early dry run. Well done your little boy.

venus good to hear the routine is taking shape well. We're nowhere near anything like that, my brain is still in a fug to be honest, can't even plan next day's dinner, let alone a routine! God, I'm hoping to recover some brain power soon.

DD's gone mental with feeding today, very often and I'm thinking if she's going through a belated or early growth spurt - she's 4.5 weeks old and didn't experience anything like this at three weeks. Fortunately I manage to express more milk every day - agree that the morning sessions are more productive with the supply dwindling as the day goes.

Oooh, holidays... DH asked if I would consider going away - just the two of us - for his b'day in the begining of March. What, and leave my precious little mouse alone??!! Mad! Definitely not if I'm still bf'ing.

scarlotti OMG I never thought about the cooking and cleaning!!! All those years we' were self catering when i was a kid and my poor old mum must have been doing almost everthing! Must remember to send her a huge bunch of flowers for mothers day this year!!

skorpion I get 6 weeks ML prebirth and 10 weeks post on full pay then nothing!! I can take up to 3 years off but on zero pay (and benefit are about 25% of my current wages) I'm going back 4 day a week and with my child benefits it works out about the same as full time. But I do get an hour off a day to breastfeed which is not bad

Thanks for all congrats for ds, I'm sipping a very large glass of chardonnay ( imaginary i hasten to add as i'm still bf) and crossing my fingers that tomorrowis as good. I only have to get to friday then dp is on holiday and he can take over the school run. Oh when i said he's on holiday he's actually on paternity leave... yep what with christmas and new year my dp got to take his paternity leave when a) the babyis at he childminders and b) i'm back at work

Haven't had a chance to read any posts yet but just wanted to tell you all that I took Millie swimming today and she loved it! It was a proper swimming lesson and we did submersions, she was a natural! Anyway, enough boasting from me, will read everyones news now, hope you are all ok...

In awe of all in a routine..I have to say that I tried Gina Ford with DD1..it was hard work, she never fit into it and i just kept trying for ages and blaming myself when it all went Pete Tong....Not again.. Charlotte is doing her thing and i'm not stopping her..She is cooing and smiling these days, its lovely!

Anyone with 2..are your DPs having probs bonding with the baby.. Mine loves her i know but doesn't pay much attention to her. I think the 2 months of screaming has put him off..its really upsetting me and I have said something but he doesn't even try to pick her up anymore. He was more helpful when she was screaming...

Goodluck maman i sort of half wish i was working..it would be too complicated!

Laugs i too am thinking hols..hmmmmmmm with all this snow around us, it would be rude not to go skiing..right...???

Scarlotti am in your camp..do what you like during the day as long as you behave at night.

Tamlin hope DD1 is feeling better soon

Tigger how are things with BIL and DH??

Speak later folks..

Go, Millie!

Lucy is smiling everybody! Proper 'hey, you're the lady with the boobs' and 'hey, you're that dude that keeps jiggling me about' smiles!

And I put her on my left breast for a bit and IT DIDN'T HURT. Much. And she didn't get confused and took it very well. So, please nipples, heal quickly and we'll have another go!

Scarlotti At the moment I'm so excited that he'll go nearly 5 hrs from the 10.30pm feed that I haven't begun to plan the next stage. I think I'm hoping that it will happen naturally as I'm not mentally very sharp in the middle of the night. I suppose that if it doesn't then I'll try soothing him instead of feeding to push back that night feed. oof, don't want to think about that bit yet. Have you got a game plan?

sleepless You go enjoy the snow (sniff). Be nice to think of someone enjoying it (whimper sigh). Am actually lending a freecycler most of my skiing gear this year so it will see the slopes even if I don't!

maman2tom Quite a different system there. Does it vary with different companies offering better benefits etc like here? Would they actually hold your job open if you were off for longer or is that all the legal protection you get? 10 weeks does seem like such a short time...

Ugh, in growth spurt agony here. LO has been feeding nonstop and she's completely cleaned me out. Nothing left on offer at the milkbar She won't nap and screams when I put her down. Looks like DH and I will be dining in shifts tonight...

Go go Millie and Lucy

longwayaway some hope to cling to...Reuben was like this ALL DAY yesterday, iliterally fed continuously and he would not stop for sleep or anything else, cried when I put him down. 11:30pm, he went to sleep while I tried to give him a bottle and he slept until...drum roll...4:00am the longest ever. He then fed, fell back to sleep, woke at 5am, we got up, he fed, went back to sleep at 5:30am or so, then slept until 8:15am. He only woke at 5am as he had not fed enough at 4am due to snuffly nose and not feeding so well, and then a horrid horrid coughing fit which woke him. Otherwise he might well have slept through the 5am one. Today, he has been more alert too, lots of kicking of his arms and legs and making a clicking of his tongue.

tamlin How gorgeous laughing in his sleep! Hope DS1 feels better soon.

skorpion well done for the breastfeeding and not hurting! , hope it continues.

maman how horrible for you to have to go back to work so soon. How old will DS be?

I managed to get up (well, to be fair i did not go to bed after Reuben fell asleep at 5:30am, i watched Silent Witness Part 2, recorded!), snuggle with DD, express 2oz of milk while DS slept and we watched fireman sam, cooked and ate porridge, got DD ready for nursery including pretty hair AND fed baby Reuben, changed him into clean clothes by 9am. I was dressed but not bathed/showered, did that when DD was at nursery. Then, i went to buy a new mixer tap, went shopping, took Reuben to the Drs, collected DD from nursery AND put DD to bed tonight...how about that for a day?!! I am now about to go and doze while Reuben feeds.

Reuben went to see Gp today again as he was really sick this morning, all his big feed, plus some green mucous which he choked on so he stopped breathing for a second (seemed like forever). Called GP, who said to come in and see her. When i got there she said 'not sure if there is anything wrong with him or not, i just wanted to see the little man!' then cooed over him, and when we left, she was like 'bye little man, lovely to see you again'. She is really smitten!

Thanks Pav - she mysteriously decided to lay quietly in her basket while we ate (!) then started fussing again as soon as we were done, but I'll count that as one small victory. So funny about your GP! Sorry Reuben has been poorly, though.

Laugs it was on bbc2 but not sure if it still is.

helips are you doing little dippers or something similar? Ds1 did that and I might do it with ds2.

venus in a few days time I might try giving a dummy first insyead of picking him up and see if he goes back to sleep for a bit. Will make sure the evening thing is cracked first - only 1 settling needed today

pav hope Reuben is better soon

longwayaway hang in there and get a good box set for the tv

Off to bed now..

I cant keep up.... argh

Ninja the only way I manage is to keep the laptop next to where I feed/pump and type one handed!

A good night here. Tried giving him his dummy when he woke at 4am and he went back to sleep for 40 mins - every little bit extra helps!!

My parcel from Amazon has arrived with 'What Mothers Do' in it - very excited to read it and have to wait in today for an engineer so perfect opportunity to start it.
Laugs was it you saying about Babyproofing your Marriage? I have the book and it's brilliant, well worth the to get it out of the library. It gives really good tips on making the baby care a joint responsibility and also things to look out for.

Can't remember who asked about Dh's and their involvement with the babies if there are more dc's ..? We definitely seem to have a split here of responsibilities. I look after DS2 pretty much and DH does DS1. To be honest though it works for us, my only concern is that DS2 won't bond with his Daddy as quickly. Weekends seem to bring sport and other things that DH 'needs' to catch up on.
Am sure it will change a bit though when DS2 is more interactive!

scarlotti the class is like little dippers but is run privately by a woman who teaches in a pool in her back garden! She is fully trained and used to do classes at our local pool but it closed down for refurbishments that seem to be taking forever!

We are all going to stay on a farm in Devon this summer. We went last year and it was great so booked to go again with some friends who's kids are the same age as ours so should be fun.

Can't remember who said about there dc saying letters and trying to spell, was that you laugs? Anyway, ds does this also and I worry about him going to school and having to learn things a new way but he is a very clever boy and seems to pick things up quickly. He is only 2.5 but can already count to 15, knows all his colours and shapes and recognises most letters. If you ask him to spell his name he says 'H.A.R.Y! Close, his name is Harry! I'm not deliberately teaching him letters but he just seems to pick it up, hopefully it won't be a problem when he starts school.

I literally can't remember what else I was going to say! How annoying! Hope all are ok and getting more sleep!

Helips Oh where in Devon are you going to stay? I go on holiday in Devon and I live here I do love it here, i am very very lucky and remind myself of that when things get too much with DH out of work, and being in a flat in the city. I would rather be in a flat in the city here, than in say London. At least I can get to the countryside or a beach in 10 minutes. And farms, I love farms. I stayed on a farm at christmas (a mumsnetter's farm actually) in the middle of nowhere, bliss. And have stayed in a yurt on a farm (also a mumsnetter funnily enough, but i don't know 'who' she is on here!).

Scarlotti I need to get both of those books. Need some more interesting reads (or a book at all would be good). DH and i have assumed similar roles, I care mostly for Reuben and DH is mostly responsible for Bella, but i feel terribly guilty for it. I know DD misses me. This morning, she got up with daddy so i could sleep a bit longer and she was upset, she wanted to stay with me for longer (we had cuddles). And yesterday morning we had such a lovely morning, she asked me to put her to bed, which i did and I try really hard to do more with her, like bake cakes (tomorrow), play playdoh, not supervise her doing, but get involved myself, take her to soft play. I know DH sort of resents the 'additional' care he is doing, especially as DD is sort of bucking against his parenting style but he is not necessarily showing signs of wanting more responsibility with Reuben! 'i can't babe, you have the boobs' is his excuse reasoning! I worry to about him bonding with reuben, but i am sure it will happen.

Carvol or similar - the dosage says over 3months, but can i use it for Reuben, if on a hanky nearby rather than too close? Or, i think someone mentioned eucalyptus? Can i use anything related to this? He is really bunged up and he is actually quite upset by it this morning. He is actually crying, not his 'feed me now' angry cry, but a pitiful sad 'it hurts mama' cry and it is making me cry . Although currently the electronic babysitter is entertaining him - he is enjoying watching Maggie and the Ferocious Beast in silence . GP said he is a strong boy and the fact he keeps vomitting up large amounts of mucous is a good thing as it means he is keeping it out of his lungs. She does not want to give him anything that would stop the coughing as it will go to his lungs. She said we had to ride it out, but today although not sick with it sounds so yucky. He is well other than the cough though so thanks for positive thoughts everyone!

On a good note, he slept for 4 hours, 11pm-3am, then fed, then slept until 6am, not sure of the time after the first wakeup as I did not check the time. All I know is he woke, he fed, he dozed on me, DD got up, and we fed/dozed until 8am. Lovely!

Hi Pavlov, most similar products say from 3 months but I have used baby olbas on a tissue nearby. You probably know this already, but I've found taking Anya into the bathroom when I am having a shower and closing the door helps due to the steam.

A drop or 2 of eucalyptus in a bowl of boiling water would act as a good decongestant too. You culd do the same with a drop of the baby olbas oil.

Have you tried the nasosal drops? The bambinos def don't like having them put in but it does work, if you get desperate!