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?

weston i had the injection when i was younger. I did not like it much as it took a long time for my periods to return when I stopped using it, although if you are not having more children that is fine, but if you are planning on more, you need to allow a year to get to the same fertility as before. Also, I often used to miss the window for getting it done (2weeks though!) and then had to wait til next period to get it done. And i put on a bit of weight. The side effects like this do not happen to everyone.

Implant was great. Inserted easily and painlessly, my periods pretty much disappeared, it lasts for 3 years and for me there were no noticeable side effects. You return to your normal fertility within a week, they say around 4 days which is great if you are planning (or want the option to plan) for more children. I can vouch for that as I had my implant removed on 16th January 2009, and I concieved around 1 month later, i ovulated almost immediately and conceived in the next cycle. Is is as close to 100% success rate as possible, there have been no recorded pregnancies with successful insertion of implant to date that I have been able to find. Disadvantages are that it can be awkward to remove, requires local anaesthetic, leaves a slightly bigger mark (still tiny) where it was inserted/removed, as they have to make a little cut and 'pop' it out, but to me a pretty minor disadvantage.

Although this time, i have tried the coil as I don't want another scar (albeit a v small one, have these visions of lots of little pox marks all over my underarm in time!).

tamlin ouch that sounds so painful! Are you ok now? Your poor boobs!

I was lucky with DDs routine, she fell into her own at around 6wks, she used to howl during her cluster feeding of an evening, and after a little while i took her into her/our room with calmness, low lighting, limited noise and she calmed down, she used to want this by about 8pm, and her routine fell in nicely around this. She would then have a dream feed at about 11pm (i think i started this a bit later, maybe 12wks? can't remember, but she was still v little), the n 3-4am, then 7-8am. I remember because DH would leave for work at 6:30am and would call me when he had a quick ciggie break at 7:30am sometimes and would wake me up! Or i would call him to say good morning when we woke up. She did this very quickly, but then we screwed it up as she grew older as i comfort fed her when i spent a long time travelling to and from London to visit my mum who was ill, so she went to 1.5hourly feeding at night . I used the baby whsiperer technique to get her back into a routine once we stopped travelling. I adapted it, but it worked well and helped lots in getting her through the night (she was 6 months by this stage).

DD had her swine flu jab, she did not even flinch and wanted to watch the nurse inject it! We did not let her, and she said 'i want to be a mummy and a Dr, and a ballerina when i am a grown up' and DH said 'or a nurse, you could be a nurse too' 'NO, a Dr' she said forcefully! Nurse said, much better choice, Drs get paid much much more and do much much less . She is however feeling sorry for herself now. She was a bit poorly anyway before, just a cough, which is getting worse, but also she is complaining her arm is very sore, and has rosey red cheeks! So DH bought her a flump to get her better!

Reuben is very awake, he hardly slept last night! Why is he not sleeping at night?!! he is not upset or anything, although last night he did grimble a little, not crying, just unsettled, like he was a bit uncomfortable. But mostly, he is awake and kicking, waving arms and making noises!

OMG I really do write epic posts don't I? . Goal no.1 tomorrow - No waffling

Pav I, for one, LOVE your epic posts! Fab story about your DD at the doctors.
Sending Ruben sleepy vibes!

Right, better go and submit my tax return and send the govt my money. Don't owe owt for the 9 months when I was self employed, just the last 3 months when my new employer put me on the wrong code. Grrrrr!!! Anyone else leaving it until the last minute?

Thanks venus . I don't do tax returns, thankfully

HI all. Apologies for not commenting much in this post - have been trying to follow everyone for the last week or so. I'm sending my congrats and my commiserations in appropriate measure to the appropriate MNer!

All is okay with us. Tristan is smiling now, downright grinning at times, which is lovely. I have been racing madly around this week to hospital (have abscess in my breast), register his birth and get him a passport and tomorrow we have our 6 week checkups.

In other news, I feel like I'm losing my mind. He has fed 5 - 6 times a night (i.e. betwee 11 and 7) for the last FOUR NIGHTS. This is his sixth week so I'm aware of the growth spurt. But four nights of it?? Same in the days when we are at home, he's feeding hourly or 1.5 hourly if I'm lucky. HELP!!?! When will things become sane?!

I tried a bit of aroutine - awake from 5 - 7 (ish), sleep from 7 - 9 ish and awake (feed, bath, massage,etc) from 9 - 11 ish. It worked for two nights - he fed at 11, 2 and 5 which was a miracle, but it's gone to hell in a handbasket since then! Anybody have any ideas how I can get some sleep?

Anyway, enough of that. I have been eating porridge like mad - thank you to whoever on here mentioned that it's good for milk, I believe it helps. DH has just started a contract job so this week has been my first managing the house and Tristan on my own. It's been challenging given that he sleeps only an hour (max) if we are at home (2-3 if we are out in the pram, but that doesn't buy me time at home!). Still I've managed to cook dinner tonight which I consider to be a triumph. I have immense respect for those of you who manage babies and houses and other kids every single day.

DH has been wiggling his eyebrows at me in a 'let's have nookie' way for the last few days, which unnerves me a bit as we haven't tackled it yet. I have to get over my fears of what the ventouse and 10 lb baby might have done to DOWN THERE. bring on the pelvic floors...

Right, going to catch up on all the reading now. Sorry for the Me post.

Sassmonkey big hug for going through this manic feeding time ((hug)).

Who is talking about tax returns? I'm lucky DH did mine this year

hi i missed you all. so busy this end not sure with what! i am starting to feel very stressed about going back to work already. not good.hope you are all well no time to read this and the previous thread as you lost me sometime before christmas. arent the first christmas special!

Koumak I can't wait to start working again! Does that make me abnormal? I work from home though so it won't be a huge change. I just need something for myself again and I love work!

Just heard there is a sickness bug going around DS2's nursery. That's all we need right now I hope he doesn't get it...

Hi all

Haven't been on for a while but have been trying to keep up. We're plodding along quite happily here. I took Isaac to get his second lot of jabs this morning. He screamed after the first needle but then turned to the nurse and beamed at her in a 'it's ok i forgive you' kind of way then screamed again at the second. He's sleeping soundly in the sling now. Hope he's gonna be ok-the nurse said he's more likely to get poorly after this lot.

I've been making a bit of an effort to get out and meet people. have been put in touch with a few NCT people and went to a slingmeet yesterday which was a bit crazy (loads of babies!) but got to see lots of slings in action. Isaac is getting so big my Kari-me is doing my back in a bit.

He only woke once at about 2am after going to bed at 7pm and waking at 6am. Hope this is the srart of things to come.

Tamlin thanks for the info re diastasis and exercises to do. When i lean backwards my tummy domes which that article says is diastasis, I had no idea! How long is it meant to last and when can we do sit ups?

Hello to everyone, would love to write more but Millie is asleep on me and every time I put her down she cries so I am typing one handed and getting arm ache!

bbl glad you're feeling better...

thanks pavlov might give the implant a try as dont think i will be able to remember to take the pill...

soo glad its w/e, feel knackered today and am soo eveil to DD1 these day, think i expect her to be a grown up now DD2 is here and she isn't even 3 yet

right off for nap, have a good w/e everyone

Hi all, just popping in so I don't lose you again! I have been reading posts but don't seem to have had time to write anything. BBL it's nice to see you back. Ninja I only just saw your facebook message (stupidly I thought I would get an email to say I had a message from you so was waiting for that) - I will post it tomorrow. Sass no advice but lots of sympathy.

DH is having his first night out since November tonight. I'm dreading it, especially as DD fell asleep this afternoon (which she never does) so will be awake until at least 10pm. DS is still feeding like a mad thing in the evenings, so it'll be interesting to see how it all pans out.

sassmonkey Here are a few things that could help??

1. Is your LO definitely feeding or just having a suck? Pearl uses to feed all day on and off untill i realised she actually wasnt and just having a bit of a suck! I got her a dummie which she rarely takes, but now again will have a good old suck on it. Maybe could try this?? I no alot of people are anti dummies and i was, but i think as long as they dont have it in all day long they don't get attached to it??

2.Also he is latched on correctly? Often if it isn't a good latch on they cant get as much food as they would like and need to keep feeding all the time to top up rather than having a proper feed!

1. I would advice you to phone up and speak to a breastfeeding councillor , if someone can come out and see you in person it may help to find the problem/reason if there is one.

As for more sleep maybe you could express your milk and sleep in the spare room and let your DH feed Tristan for one night?? Im not sure if you could sleep as you would probably miss him too much! What i sometimes do if Pearl wakes up at 6am and is wide awake after a feed, i keep her in bed with me. I think they often just like to be near mummy and she quite happily chats away to herself while i doze , il often wake up to find her asleep! I know this isn't for everyone but it may help you get more sleep? lemontop i have a kari-me and its hurts my shoulders and back a bit too, pearl seems to love it!! Did you discover anything good at your slingmeet??

sassmonkey i second the suggestion that Tristan could be suckling for comfort rather than for milk some of the time. Reuben did this, and still does, and started to realise he was in fact tired a lot of the time he was suckling. So, on occasion I let him cry a little. This, i guess, is easier for me with him being the second one, as sometimes i just cannot get to him immediately, and he will now drop off. I can now tell much more whether the cries are sleepy cries, even if they are loud, or they are feed me cries. But sometimes, he still prefers to just suckle, especially in the evenings. We have tried a dummy, he is not really interested, but it does distract him chewing/spitting it out if he is not actually hungry. If he is hungry, he will not play with it, he will cry.

Last night though, he 'la'd' through bedtime stories with Bella, and then stopped la'ing, to listen to the story, and then fell asleep during it, and i had to wake him (partially) at 11pm for a feed, then he slept through til 3:30am! Admittedly he has only just dropped back off for a nap, but even so!

Morning ladies,

Thanks claired21 Sass The feeding will ease off. I've gone through 2 growth spurts with DS and feeds were every 1.5 - 2hrs through the night for about 4 nights. It was such an exhausting time. You are doing well. At the time it's hell, but before you know it, you have got through it and moved on. Hoping this reassures you, I've gone from very little sleep of a night, but in the last 2 weeks he's sleeping from 8pm - 6.30am with 2 feeds (he's 12 wks today) I'm now even more tired with having more sleep - that can't be right!!

Had a busy couple of days. Went to baby massage. DS and I loved it. Will put what I've learnt into practice tonight as part of the bedtime routine.

So glad it's the weekend. DH is taking DS1 out today. It should be a nice break and I can rest when baby naps. I've got my dreaded tax return to do tomorrow. I don't think I have the brain power! I promised myself I would do it when I was pg and I totally forgot!

Hope you all have lovely weekends with your bubbas and families.

Pav I'm just figuring out the difference between "sleepy" and "hungry" myself - I don't notice the difference in crying (yet) but the dummy trick works.

Laugs Hope your evening alone with the LOs went OK!

Oo, excitement - neighbors are off to the hospital to meet their LO

Neither of mine take dummies, but I have used the old knuckle-in-the-mouth trick a few times, usually when they want to suckle to sleep but they're not actually hungry.

I WOULD have had seven hours sleep in a row last night had DS1 not set the alarm when I wasn't looking so it went off at midnight, thus startling the baby and me considerably. Arthur clearly did not want to be awake, and after making a few cross noises at me, scrunched his eyes closed and went doggedly back to sleep. I do adore that baby - if I thought all our children would be good sleepers, I'd be agitating for another one. I remember that when DS1 was four months old, I was a sleep-deprived wreck who kept bursting into tears all the time; now I keep thinking, if only I'd had enough sleep I might have appreciated you properly back then!

8 hours followed by 10 hours, first night broken up with a dream feed, second night broken with dream feed plus one feed. Shame the nights start at 7am though so it meant getting up at 3:30am, then 5:30am. 5:30am fine, if DD did not have night terrors until 1am! Night before i went to bed at midnight so had 3hours sleep, then last night 3.5hours broken sleep what with the feed in between. Ouchie!

I have drunk a LOT of coffee today.

I have also managed to express 3.5oz of milk from ONE boob!!! (before the endless coffee went to my milk!).

Reuben is however sleeping lots over the last couple of days...normal? between yesterday and same time today, he has been awake for about 3 hours most?

ooh, it's going a bit quieter on the thread now isn't it? As all of us have to deal with our ever more demanding, but still gorgeously lovely little ones I suppose.

I have been trying to keep up but mainly lurking for a few mins before rushing off to do something else. Been DH's 30th bday, as well as lots of visitors, like the second wave of not such close friends and family! Also been to baby massage class which was lovely, and mainly just staring at Rosa and enjoying her toothless grins, kicky legs and light-up smiles of recognition when she sees me/us. It's so wonderful isn't it?

Mushiness all round it seems! Hope you're all well.

BBL I too fee like I willenjoy going back to work, in some respects, as I love teaching, but I feel slightly weird as all my friends are saying 'Never want to go back!' but I guess it's easier said than done and if it came to the crunch, like it is with you maman, I'd probably be desperate to stay home. Or maybe do a wee catch up couple of days then have another few months off. That'd be great...

Just popping in to say hello. Been lurking the past few days but had a few rough nights so too tired to respond. He's been sleeping ok, just waking twice instead of once, but I've struggled to sleep. Mind is just racing as lots going on in there things not wonderful at home either which doesn't help.

Got better night last night so hoping it's the start of a good stretch. Ioan has been feeding more today and quite unsettled so wondering if his growth spurt is about to start as he's 11 weeks today. This afternoon he's been struggling to decide between sleep and milk, so we've just fed and then been to the shops in his buggy so the poor lad can recharge his batteries.

Work wise, I'm in two minds too. Miss the social and mental stimulation it gives me but he's too young for me to leave him yet. Going back is a given for me though as we can't afford for me not to. Hoping that I might be able to get a job back with some guys I used to work with though as the office is just down the road.

Hey all, well tomorrow is the big day and i'm back to work. Sort of looking forward to it as it'll be a change being with adults during the day (at not permanently on the chugginton website) but I know that'll wear of soon as with the 4 hour commute, and evenings by myself with a hyperactive 3 year old and a permantly feeding 10week old i think i'm going to be knackered ...about wednesday!

On the plus side i work in a tiny departement (there's me, my boss and his boss!!) and the 2 other blokes are retirement age and they treat me like their daughter, so when I arrive on my first day saying i'll be cutting back my hours to start with (i get time off for bf) they won't be difficult.

Well ds1 had 1 really bad day with his chicken pox but is now back to his hyperactive self (only with spots!)

pav Dan seems to be sleeping a lot too but he is a bit of a lazy bones but unfortunatley a night owl up till midnight then asleep till 11am (with 1 feed)!!Takes after his dad not me.

Hope everyone's OK and hugs to scarlotti right must get on with getting my stuff ready for tommorrow...OMG not sure i even remember what I do at work??

scarlotti I am sorry things are not good at home , if you need to talk, we are here, even if it is to sound off and rant or whatever without wanting advice or if you don't feel happy doing that, you can always use facebook for a chat . I hope you manage to get some decent sleep soon.

maman good luck for tomorrow and this week, i really hope it is ok for you. I am right now enjoying my time off, looking forward to going back so i can be myself a for a little while, mainly as I am going to reduce my hours down to 21pw, if i had to work more i would be less happy, as I m not the happiest in my job right now, i lost respect from my employers a long time ago unfortunately and the more i interact with them as an employee (maternity, pay, training, etc) the less i respect them. I will work 21 hours and when i am in a good position, probably when Reuben is 3 or so, i will leave and change careers i think. If an opp comes up in the meantime i will take it but not look for it, until then its a job that gives me flexibility and good annual leave so i will enjoy that part of it at least.

maman I'll be thinking of you tomorrow. Good luck, I hope it goes well.

scarlotti hope things will improve soon. Take care.

sass big hug from me.

raggie I really want to do a baby massage class, too. Must look into it. Is it just one class or a course?

I'm not looking forward to going back to the office at all. Still have looong time to go, but am already getting a bit weepy thinking about it. So I don't. I have started working at home last week, though, and this would definitely be a preferred option for full-time work. I've made friends with a neighbour with a couple of children and she tells me there are some excellent childminders in the village, so shipping Lucy off for a few hours a day and getting on with work would be fab.

I've just noticed my left boob has slowed down on the production: I managed to express 3-4oz from the right one and only one from the left. Whay would this be? I usually pump both at the same time... I haven't eaten any oats over the weekend (I got the milk to 5-6oz at each pumping in the last ten days or so), must cram some in now and see if it helps.

maman good luck for tomorrow, am sure you'll be fine once you're back into the swing of things.

Well we're on 1.5 hourly feeds so growth spurt it is! Those who've been through it - how long does this last?