FEB 2010 Valentines, pancakes and BABIES!!

[InmaculadaConcepcion]

Here it is, then - the post natal thread for the Feb 2010 gang - let the poo/bf/nappy rash/sleeplessness/crying

OMG whatdoIdonow!! conversations commence...

AC He is fine this morning, thank you - I did give him a bit of calpol and it seemed to do the trick.

Do you have a breast pump? You can always express that excess milk and freeze it for nights when you want to go out. It keeps for a couple of months in the freezer - chill it for half an hour in the fridge before freezing. I've got the Lansinoh disposable milk storage bags, they are very handy.

Hello everyone - great to read that everyone seems a little more alive!

Things are going ok here. We've given up waking DD for the 10.30pm dream feed as she just stopped waking up and feeding! She would take a tiny amount and no amount of gentle encouragement could get her to take more. So that means that instead of going from 11pm to 4/5am she started going from 7.30pm to 2am and then again at 5/6am. I know either of those are pretty good but those 2am feeds are a killer.

I must say though that having a fairly strict bedtime routine has been great. It took a while to put in place, but it really works and it has given us our evenings to ourselves. I do wonder if it's the right thing as it is so the opposite of the continental style, where the babies stay up until they want to go to sleep and they carry on like that, but I really appreciate the time DH and I have together in the evenings. Not that I wouldn't love my baby to be with me - but the fact that she goes to sleep peacefully now gives me a lot of pleasure. Saying that - we've never left her to cry and we still go to her pretty quickly - so our routine isn't that strict - it's more that after her bath she doesn't leave her room and we do everything very quietly and try and wind down as much as possible - and keep to quite strict timings with bath/final feed/bed time. It's adapted from a 'parenting guru' who must not be mentioned on these pages, but is quite a bit gentler than her bedtime routine!

Our French friends seem to have babies that sleep through earlier, but I think this is because they consider bedtime to be later than we do.

She is now entirely ff which has been really hard for me. I think my milk production has really fallen off now and she gets frustrated after about five minutes on the breast. Next child I am going to negotiate more maternity leave so I can do BF properly. Giving up has been horrible. She has filled out and is looking like a proper little fat baby now. The physical change has been huge. The good thing is that DH has done the last two 2am feeds! I am feeling rested! Although he isn't quite as quiet as me when getting up and I always wake up before him, despite moving the monitor to his side of the bed!

I have so much bloody weight to shift too and haven't managed to get any of it off os far, despite making quite a good effort and doing lots of walking. I am starting Weight Watchers this week - trouble is that DH comes home at lunch and dinner time starving hungry, and if I haven't started cooking something nice and healthy he starts cooking and everything he cooks is so unhealthy and full of butter and cream. OK - no more bloody excuses!!

Another odd night in our life! DS woke up every 4h and feed! For the last week he was waking up and not eating, just playing with the bib I've got the feeling to be back to square one but the worse is that I know he can do it!

flying have you try to do batch cooking of healthy meals or salads? That's what I do for my lunches, I prepare a big salad on Monday which lasts for a few days. I'm not doing Weight Watchers yet (as DH is against it) but I use their free recipes from their website and the low calories recipes from BBC Good Food website.

Ah! There you all are! Hi Everyone, I'm very relieved you're all back again.

Imms - well, DD had one crying fit that lasted an hour later in the afternoon, but was otherwise fine, just a bit sleepier than usual for the next day or two(still woke up every 3 hours for a feed, though).
Heartbreaking to have to watch her cry as the nurse gave the injections, though. Think I'm going to wimp out of the next set and wait outside while DH stays with her (he was braver than me...I was in tears for ages after DD stopped...)

You guys with the big sleep stretches!! For me, anything longer than three hours in one go is bloody amazing! We went back to DD's more normal routine last night which was as follows:
In bed at 1900
1945 - sleep
2045 - feed and nappy change
2200 back to sleep
0115 - feed and nappy change
0230 back to sleep
0530 - feed and nappy change
0630 back to sleep
0930 - awake for the day

Given that it takes me longer to get back to sleep and I usually wake up before she does (she's quite noisy with her pre-waking hunger cues...) I got about 6 hours in total, which isn't bad.
I've tried skimping on the nappy changes, but she just wakes up more quickly - not sure if it's because she finds a dirty nappy uncomfortable or because of the wind-relieving massage she gets at each change (which prevents her flatulence waking her up) - but it seems to be necessary at the moment.

Yes, I'm trying to get a reasonably predictable bedtime routine together - in a similar way to you, FC, really. I don't bath her every day, but I may start to as she tends to sleep better when she's had a bath (even though she gets thoroughly agitated when I'm dressing her again afterward).

I LOLed at the foot operated bouncy chair at meal-times - we'd been doing exactly the same thing while eating lunch just before I logged on!!

As for showering - I'm dead lucky because DH only works afternoons/evenings, so he babysits while I take a shower. That me-time is so precious!!

BTW, anyone got advice on exactly how to introduce a comforter? I want her to get into having a muslin as a comforter - especially as I'm starting to worry about dummy addiction. I'm going to post the question on the sleep thread, but if any of you have any thoughts on this one...

at the baby monitor being used to summon tea!!

All being well, I'm going to venture into work to show DD off this evening..fingers crossed she's in a good mood..

Long post! DD is asleep (still in her bouncy chair, but without the bouncing now, thankfully...)

Sorry some of you are having horrible nights. I admire you all, as I really don't know how I'd cope with a lively toddler and a baby with very little sleep. As it is I have some days when I feel like a zombie!

With DD1 I was quite good at establishing a routine, but this time I haven't really. We definitely have a bedtime routine, which goes a bit like this:
6pm: DD1 has her dinner and I give DD2 a bottle as I chat to DD1
6:30pm: DD1 is allowed one 10 minute TV programme - I am a TV nazi - and I take DD2 upstairs and she has some nappy-free time while I draw the curtains and get everything ready like getting milk for them both, and putting DD2's stuff ready by the bath.
6:40pm: DD2 goes into the bath - we do the "one inch of water and let them go" trick - and DD1 comes upstairs after switching off the TV when her programe finishes, get undressed and puts her clothes away and gets her towel before joining DD2 in the bath
6:55pm: DD2 comes out of the bath and I top up the bath for DD1 while drying and dressing DD2 in the bathroom.
7pm: DD2 goes in her swing while I help DD1 wash, then I dry her and help her get dressed.
7:10pm: Curl up with both DDs on the sofa in DD2's room, while they both have their milk and I read a couple of books.
7:20pm: Prop DD2 on my shoulder for a burp while supervising DD1's toothbrushing and final wee of the day in the bathroom, then tuck DD1 into bed.
7:25pm: Finish feeding DD2 and put her in her cot.
7:30pm: Go downstairs and cook dinner!

Is anyone still reading?!

It does the trick for us in the evening as there are definite cues for bedtime for both the DDs. During the day, I have a vague 2.5-3hour feeding schedule for DD2, but there are no definite nap times and she often naps in her pushchair or the car, or will drop off in her bouncy chair or on a bed.

During the night, I don't talk to DD2, and am very functional with just a low light on to do the feed. I only do a nappy change if she's dirty or is very wet (and Pampers Baby Dry are fabulous at keeping them dry at night).

Ooh, sorry. Very long and dull post!

Chinook, the farm that must not be named was fully reopen and very nice. I'd recommend it!

watercress thanks for the day out tip. Will go very soon. Also, are you available for hire as a childminder? Have been meaning to say for ages how impressive it is that your new dd sleeps through already, and falls asleep by herself. Then I read your above comment with amazement

6:40pm: DD2 goes into the bath - we do the "one inch of water and let them go" trick - and DD1 comes upstairs after switching off the TV when her programe finishes, get undressed and puts her clothes away and gets her towel before joining DD2 in the bath.

PUTS HER CLOTHES AWAY. How on earth did you achieve that?! also have a dp who could do to learn the same thing. You are wasted as a pharmacist. Get writing your child rearing handbook now!

watercress I am going to print your email and keep it for when I have two DCS! You sound so organised!

Please tell me that with DD1 you had days that you struggled to get dressed/pee etc, even past 8 weeks.

My bedtime routine is crap in comparision and very impractical now that I think about it.

DD gets hungry about 5pm so I try and make sure she has a nap before hand so we take our walk between 4 and 5. I feed her at five, a small feed.
At 5.45 I put the kettle on to boil for her final feed and dance around the kitchen with her in her bouncy chair smiling at me as I sing along to Nelly The Elephant, etc, etc. I then start getting stuff ready for the bath. She has nappy free time/tummy time on a changing mat on the floor in the bathroom while I get everything ready.
6pm - bath time followed by massage in her room, lights down low talking in a very low voice.
6.15 final feed (when this was bf it would take at least an hour and a half, now it's ff it is quicker, but there is preparation time and faffing around and then lots more winding.
7pm Swaddled and a final cuddle before bed.

I usually have to go back once or twice for another burp or to replace the dummy.

I am the same as watercress for nighttime feeds - although I always change her and when DH does them I think he does a lot more talking and cuddling.

Another long post!

GF thanks for your salad idea, sounds great.

shiregirl I hope your DH is being a bit more helpful - I read your other thread and have been thinking about you.

DH just gave me a bollocking for being on MN again! Must go and do some work... struggling to get it all done in the 3 hours a day that I am doing it.

Been speaking to my sister tonight, she's due in 4 weeks. When I had Poppy it felt like ages until my lil' sis' was going to have hers and now it's almost upon us. Bless her, she's got absolutely no idea what's coming , who does?

I don't change Poppy during the night unless she's pooped, and I'm the same as watercress for keeping the lights low and not talking, it's hard though when she stops feeding and starts smiling and cooing at me. How can you resist a gorgeous baby staring at you with big blue eyes and giving you big gummy grins? Even if it is 4am

watercress I am hugely impressed by your evening routine and not quite sure how I can get it to work but may try to copy. How old is your dd1? And does she still have lunchtime naps? My dd1 is just over 2 1/2 and still has a nap most days because she turns into a monster if she doesn't. Problem is she is then far too awake in the evening to settle when I want her to at half 7 (and asleep by 8). I am also 'obsessed' with dd1 eating a family dinner with myself and dh about 6, rather than on her own. At the moment for me that usually means eating with one hand while juggling dd2 and her bottle with the other
Ah well, we'll get there. Our bathtime has pretty much gone out of the window in any case and I've only once put both children in together. It seems quite complicated to do this every night esp when I have to wash dd1's hair - she has masses and masses of gorgeous long hair and it takes at least 20 minutes to blow dry..
Pretty similar to you at nights, although dd2 is totally exhausted by about half 6 and fast asleep at 7, and I do give her a sleepy feed at 10ish because I am not at my best at 2 in the morning and prefer her to sleep from 11ish to 6.30/7. Selfish? Yes, but then I can't see much wrong with being offered a cuddle and food, and dd2 seems very happy with that arrangement .
Also feel absolute admiration for those of you struggling through sleepless nights and I am very very grateful to dd2 to be such a good sleeper.

Great to read all your news... it keeps me sane-ish! Wow, routines! I'm impressed! we have one that is very flexible and has emerged from the fog. DS is still in with us in his moses basket but we're going to move the big cot through soon and start putting him down earlier. A few weeks ago we tried this but the evening cluster feeding meant I was just sitting on my own all evening and never saw DH so we went back to just having him with us in the lounge in the evening.

He reliably has a four hour stretch at night, though not at the same time, which is a great improvement. Last night this was 12 to 4.40, wheyhey!

Another lovely spring day here so going to take the pram out for a walk. The weight thing is a bit disheartening. I finally bit the bullet and went and bought some clothes to fit my huge arse and jelly belly larger post baby body as most of my maternity ones ate wintery, but theyre cheap and cheerful and I would like to get back into my favourite jeans sometime this century year!

Who said about favourite outfits being cursed to be covered in cheesy baby puke... that happens here too! Fingers crossed not this morning though as his clothes are really bringing out his gorgeous blue eyes.

Enjoy your day

Hi all,

Impressed by the bedtime routines. I am still bathing DS in the morning when things are a bit calmer and he sleeps in the evening from about 7pm in time for our dinner, thankfully. My older DD is in bed by 6.45 too but getting her routine done in time takes all my energy at that time of day.

Btw there is no way I would bath them together, she is too big and clumsy! So far she has banged a drum in his ear when he was asleep, tried to pick him up when she thought I wasn't looking, nearly fallen on him several times when he is in his bouncer and nearly whipped him with her coat...eek.

I had my first proper day out with them both in the car yesterday. Met friends with older kids, 7 kids in total so bit hectic. I was feeding DS, who was then having a choking fit, and thought my DD was with one of my friends but she had wandered off. It was a heart stopping moment when I realised she had vanished. I had to dump DS on someone mid-feed and race around Hampstead Heath probably looking quite mad. She had followed a dog and gone quite far from us but luckily had a very distinctive coat on so I spotted her and caught up with her. Not sure how supervising toddlers and a baby is possible when out and about, especially with a bolter like my DD.....I guess it will get easier???

I don't bath Ds at night but in the morning, I must do it in the evening in order to create his 'real' routine for when I go back to work in 2 months.

At the moment our evening routine is:
6pm Feed
6.30pm Change into his night nappy and sleepsuit
Between 6.30 and 7pm: back downstairs for some tommy time
7pm Bedtime

I normally don't have to go back up.

Next feed will be 10pm and depending on the week, he will last up to 5am or 2am. And he's awake for his day at 8am

I hate the 2am feed, it's such a killer!

He naps for one hour in the morning about 10.30am - 11am and sometimes in the afternoon.

I like having him in bed by 7pm as it gives DH and I some time alone!

I too am hugely impressed and also envious of those of you with routuines. I just have no idea how to put one in place when she's demand feeding and so the day can start at 7, 8 or 9 ant evening feed can be 5, 6 or 7. Then there's cluster feeding and tryin to fir in dinner with an evening nap, if we have hit the jackpot. Basically we live in baby-led chaos .

I raised this at my second post-natal class this morning, and they said "Oh far too young for routine, start at 3 months". But clearly it isn't if all you are managing it!!

Hate typing one-handed !

Guess what? DD slept for a 4.5 hour stretch last night!
And guess who was awake for the last hour and a half expecting her to wake up? grr...

Some impressive bedtime routines, I may have to borrow some of those...

The bed times routines are very impressive, well done mums!
We've started on Sunday with:
7.15pm bath
7.30pm feed
8.00pm bed

10.30/11.00 pm feed

after that is a surprise I never know when he's going to wake up: it varies between 2.5h to 4.5h. Sometimes he wakes up at 1.30am and I just give him the dummy and he goes back to sleep for a little bit longer, but this not always work

I've been alone over the past days and implementing this routine is very hard work. How long does it usually takes to have a routine well established?

Inmaculada I know that feeling

fiziwizzle I'm never too sure about feeding times during the day and I try to play with the hours (3 or 4 hours between feeds) to get the 7.30pm on time.

DS seems to be sleeping a lot during the day and I always panic thinking that he wont sleep during the night.

Hope you are all well
xxx

lol fizi baby led chaos is probably a better description of my day than a routine so you're not alone. One thing we always do is I take DS into the bathroom while I have a shower. The steam really helps clear his snuffly nose. He seems to really enjoy it and spends a lot of time staring at the shiny towel rail/ radiator!

Oh please don't think I'm some kind of supermum. I really really am not! The bedtime routine was already set by DD1 and Dd2 just seemed to fall into it at two weeks old. I have had to try various things to find a routine that works for me when I am putting them to bed on my own (this usually happens three nights a week as DH works long hours) and what I have written is what seems to work best.

In answer to the various questions, DD1 is three and a half and I had to get her to do more stuff when I was pregnant as I was suffering very badly from SPD and just couldn't do it all myself. She puts her clothes in the laundry basket as it is next to the bath so it's no major feat. She behaves very well for me when the three of us are on our own - on the whole - so she is fine in the bath for a few minutes with DD2. And I do all her washing and hairwashing once DD2 is out of the bath and i have put more water in.

But it sometimes goes wrong - DD2 is too tired to go in the swing for the time i need to help wash and dry DD1, for example, or DD1 has a meltdown because she is too tired - and we just have to muddle along. Sometimes one of them has to cry ofr a few minutes while I deal with the other, which is horrible but unavoidable.

And yes, I have days when it all feels like it is crashing down. I hit a wall of tiredness on Sunday and just couldn't shake it off, even though we had to trek up to London to see some friends for lunch. But I just gritted my teeth and packed the stuff needed for the girls and trudged around. But I was more functional than fun mummy that day!

Also please don't think that DD2 is sleeping through every night, because she really isn't! But she does only wake once quite reliably now between 7:30pm and 6:30am, and even then I can usually get her to go back down for a couple of hours before she wakes up for the day. Remember that formula fed babies often sleep better...

Right, better go and start the evening routine! MIL is here to help as DD2 had her first injections today.

I think we've hit the 6 week growth spurt. The routine has gone out of the window in favour of either feeding or crying. Sleep apparently is no longer required. This time though, instead of getting angry fustrated with the crying, i keep laughing at her- she sometimes sounds like a very old man. Not sure if this is more or less healthy than the previous option.

Did I write before that I caught dd1 trying to feed a piece of cheese to dd2? Don't think she meant any harm but shows I really have to watch her very closely...
watercress don't apologise, you really do seem quite organised and are inspiring the rest of us. I still have to forget about a bath as part of a bedtime routine, but the year's difference between your dd1 and mine probably explains my problems...
Sending sleepy vibes to all those babies
PS. I also feel like a zombie much of the time despite dd2 sleeping fairly reliably from 11 to 6.30 now. Running after a toddler all day makes me feel like I am crisis managing rather than in control...

aaaaaaaaaargh...

Loving reading about all the routines and how all our LOs are doing.

DD is now 8 weeks, and 8lb 9oz. She has dropped a centile but the health visitor didn't seem too worried as she is feeding well, alert etc.

I put her in a baby sleeping bag for the first time this week, as she seemed to stop liking the swaddling, anyway what a result...she calmed down instantly as soon as I zipped it up, then slept from 11pm until 7am both nights - brilliant! We don't put her to bed until we go up ourselves as she is pretty active in the evenings and I'm in no rush as I'm not back at work til December.

She is a constant source of fascination when we go out as her dark spikey hair is now an amazing 2 inches long all over with no sign of it thinning

Just wondering if anyone has had terrible pain using an electric pump? i have to give DD infant gaviscon and wanted to mix with expressed milk. Just tried the philips aventis pump and only managed to squeeze out about 20 ml and now my nipples and breasts are really sore! really hoping to BF for a year but I won't be able to do it if I can't express! Help!

Gave DD her first dose using cooled boiled water and a syringe but she spat most of it out...

Morning everone! We're meant to be at our BF group but LO was very sick this morning, not unusual in itself, but my sister's children have come down with a vomiting bug and my sister looked after her yesterday. So I'd rather play safe than risk infecting other babies. I don't think she's ill actualy, she is alert and smiling and hasn't been sick again. But better not take the chance.

Abs have you tried a manual pump? The first time I expressed (using Tommy Tippee manual pump) my nipples were so sore the next day I almost updated my status about it on FB (luckily realised that would be far TMI for the FB community in time and refrained). Next time a little sore, now can express 3/4 times a day with no soreness. Csn't comment on elecric, I do have one but have got on so well with the manual that haven't even tried it. I express one side as she feeds the other, that way take advantage of the let-down.

Ugh I feel like a zombie today, so tired. I'm still planning to take my daily walk into town to start shifting the jelly belly. Would much rather spend a day on the sofa, feeding it chocolate . Oh for those lazy days of ML! Why did I waste it keeping busy?!

Abs I started out quite enthusiastically with my pumping and got sore nipples. I have to pump quite gently in small squeezes to do it successfully. I'm using a Tommee Tippee Manual one too. Maybe your pump is too strong, can you turn it down? Or try with a manual til you get a pumping routine established. I can get 4oz regularly most mornings doing the same as fizi - feding on one side and expressing the other.

BTW I only got about 20ml first time I pumped, it was the next morning it was flowing!

We're going for a walk here too, the sunshine is gorgeous!