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...

IC I had the same problem with DS Bumgenius a week or so ago but during the day. I just replaced the newborn insert for the more chunky one and it has done the trick! For the night, I use the big insert and a bamboo one for extra absorbency as DS is an heavy wetter and he wears it from 6pm to 8am.

DS is having his 12 weeks jabs on Thursday, time flies so quickly!

yeah GF i would put thicker inserts in. Also for night try putting the nappy on back to front i have heard that sometimes helps at night.
hemp is super absorbant, for your hippy tendency IC or microfibre cloths add absorbancy but not bulk.

i was at the baby show in Glasgow on Saturday.Shoppin tastic spent a fortune .
But i got a Mei Tai for Dh to useas he is finding the kari me to restrictive and warm. thay both love it Ds looks much more comfortable in it.

Mmm, yes, I'm thinking about a Mai Tai as well - or maybe a Connecta Solarveil. DH wants a more backpack type thing, arguing that we need to keep DD's body a little away from ours to encourage air circulation and coolness, but that rather defeats the object for me.

Nappies... I've got Pop-Ins and even with the night booster in we still got leaks. Trouble is, it's not the absorbency/volume of liquid that's the problem. Basically, it trickles out the side of the nappy because that's how she tends to lie. No problems during the day when she doesn't lie on her side (she usually naps in her pram, which has her in a more prone position). Wonder if I could improvise a microfibre cloth around the waistbands to catch an moisture trying to escape that way...? I shall experiment. Thanks for the suggestions!

So good to read everyone's experiences, and 'see' so many familiar faces...

My 9 week old DD has her first immunisations tomorrow and I'm a little worried about them. She is such a contented thing, not one bit of bother, that I don't want to see her all upset.

She has settled well into a pattern of sleeping, she gets sleepy between 9pm and 10pm so I take her up and virtually by the time I've zipped up her sleeping bag, she's usually asleep. She'll then sleep til 6.30am more or less on the dot, quick feed, then straight back asleep til about 10am.
The downside is she doesn't sleep much in the day, a few 20 min naps here and there but that's ok as we're usually out and about anyway.

We've had a few cooing and gurgling noises this week, and the beginnings of a little laugh - ooh it melts my heart, it really does. Fantastic stuff - not enough love in the world sometimes is there

mei tais are great for back carrying. My experience of back pack type carriers is baby needs to be pretty big and strong, or they get lost in them. With your DD being petite she might not be comfy in one until she is much bigger and the weather is not so hot anyway. just my thoughts.

another thought on night nappie, you could try a wool cover or a fleece cover.Tots bots do a fleece wrap i think.

Stresshead my DH told me this morning that DS1 smiling used to melt him but this one's smiles "change his world!" For a big 'roughty toughty' male I thought this was gorgeous! The giggling and cooing is indeed something else.

Tomorrow and Thursday we are having new windows fitted. Not quite sure how I am going to breast feed with a bunch of window fitters runnig around, especially as my two friendly neighbours both have kids with chicken pox so I can't decamp to theirs! At least we have picked days when DS1 is at the childminder so that I don't have to feed whilst grabbing his ankles to prevent him freefalling out of the upstairs window holes! Think of me..

Don't know much about slings (other than not to carry a 16 month old in a babasling to do the hoovering when 4 months pregnant) but agree that a backpack here tends to be for babies that are older and can support themselves. Beware if you have a sicky baby not to put DC in them too soon after a feed as DH got a neck-full of sick at one point when using the backpack! He was never keen afetr that - can't imagine why!!

Good luck with the window fitters. They'll probably do half the windows one day and the rest the next. You could try asking them to leave you with one warm, dry, workman free room and see if they can jig it. Fingers crossed.

The injections will go fine. Think positive, you're protecting your LO from some horrible illnesses. It helped me a lot to remember this. He slept more after them too.

Sounds like you need a side booster pad IC, time to get the scissors and fabric out! Speaking of which, I've found a few mei-tai carrier tutorials online, (I can link if anyone's interested.) I have a vague notion of attempting to make one before we outgrow the moby. So far we have the fabric suitcase down from the loft and the tutorial bookmarked...

DS has been feeding since 7 now. Was going to wake him for a EBM bottle dreamfeed at 11 to try and get more sleep, but as this rate he'll still be awake!

Hope everyone gets a little more sleep than they need

bethylou good luck with window fitting! and sunnybump your projects always sound ace, and you seem to actually get them done too! i keep thinking of stuff to do, but it never gets beyond that!!

hmm.. good job i wasn't counting chickens? didn't sleep so well last night, and hasn't settled well tonight? so there we go!

on a positive note tho, swiss tony at the car auction sold our first car for $1000 more than we were hoping for!! just hope he does as well with the second one next week! At this rate we might not have to transfer £ over here to pay for the shipping container! (fingers crossed!!)

when LO gets big enough for a proper back carrier for walking etc, we've got a vaude one which is ace, but not quite as good as the macpac one (which we couldn't afford!) also, we got ours secondhand off ebay 3 years ago about half the price of a new one in the shops.. still in good nick and just waiting for DS to be big enough!

Congrats on the car sale Stoof, not long to go now. Your faith in me getting projects done made me laugh, but not as much as watching Swiss Tony clips on YouTube, roflol. His suave ways obviously did the trick.

DS got his dreamfeed bottle at 12... and slept til 6.45!!! He probably won't do it again for at least a week but he can go through the night (even if my definition of through the night has changed alot!). Not having to do anything when I woke up at 4am was ace

Sorry if I sound smug but DS isn't the best sleeper an this is a bit of a breakthrough. At 11 1/2 weeks it couldn't have come sooner.

I'm starting to wonder if I should try a dream feed at 12am when DS wakes up but when he used to feed at that time he was waking up 4 hours later or he doesn't eat... so I don't know what to do to get him not to wake up at 12am, 1am or 2am Any suggestions?

Stoof I hope the packing is doing well

Sunny if he can go through the night without feeding, it means he can do it but if he's like mine the trick is too convince him he can do it!

Thanks for the advice re slings and washable nappies, folks! sunnybump I rather suspect my sewing skills might not be equal to the task, but it's a good suggestion!

On the sling front, perversely, DD was quite happy in the Kari-me when I took her across town today - with the application of the dreaded dummy, anyway. Seems the Carlin Bleu, which I got for the warmer weather, is not finding favour with her. Or it may be that she doesn't like the abbreviated cross carry hold. Anyway. I shall experiment. Not sure how much longer she'll be happy in the Kari-me with all its layers, it's been pretty hot today and it's only April...

bethylou, what a lovely thing for your DH to say! Good luck with the window fitters, house renovations are SO not fun while they're going on...

Ladies with babies sleeping through-ish (5 hours counts as sleeping through, apparently... it would certainly feel like it to me!) how heavy are your babies? A chum told me 14lbs is the "golden weight" for sleeping through (a little way off for my DD...she's only just about to hit double figures) so I'd be interested to see if there's a correlation...

Swiss Tony, stoof! Did he say that selling your car was like making love to a beautiful woman??! Good luck with getting packed up.

RANT ALERT: Arrrggghhh I stupidly thought that once LO arrived, me and MIL would start to connect and have stuff to talk about. Its not that we don't get on, we just have nothing in common. Before, I feel like she made an effort to 'bond'. Now if she comes round and LO is asleep, she'll complain and then leave. Unless there's a chance she might wake soon and then she goes as soon as she has held her. At least now she sleeps in her room during the day she doesn't just pick her up at the first sign of movement (not understanding that babies move and make noises but go back to deep sleep). But I can't bring myself to say don't take off her blankets, or she doesn't like being talked at CONSTANTLY, quite loudly, in a very high pitched voice while being prodded. I feel guilty about moving so soon, that I think that they deserve loads of over exciting time before we go. She doesn't seem to make an effort to talk to me, it just makes be feel like a non person. If she does come round for a little while (or we round to hers) then she's always out in the buggy. I think I need to find my voice.

Sorry rant over, I know it's a little thing, but it's the feeling like your not there that really gets to me.

Climber I feel your pain - I've offended my MIL for the first time in two years: she came in and screeched hello at DS2 whilst in the middle of a feed (think Mrs Bucket and you're almost getting the picture!). He unlatched and started to cry in a terrified manner. She said, "Oh, why's he crying?" to which I unthinkingly replied, "I think you frightened him by being rather loud!" and she hasn't spoken to me since, not even to thank me for the lovely tea that I had prepared instead of going to sleep when the boys did!! In fairness, she is a lot better than she used to be but I certainly feel like we have nothing but the children in common and that I must remember to monitor what I am thinking before I say it to her - not easy when sleep deprived!

IC DS2 has started going pretty much through the night and is 14lbs, but DS1 did it at 8 weeks when he weighed 10lbs so not consistent here. Did I say going through the night? Must go and touch many types of wood... Bye!

Climber I think we can create a club. I've never been close to MIL, to be fair I'm 31 and she's 81 so there's a bit of a generation gap. I've upsetted her before DS birth when I told her that I will not BF, we speak but I think she's still a bit unhappy about it. Ah well!

IC DS was 12lb1 (5kg48) 2 weeks ago and kind of sleep through the night.

I think we had a break through last night, DS despites waking up 3 times between 12am and 3am did settle down very quickly each times meaning more sleep for me! I just had to take him in my arms and cuddle him... bethylou can I borrow your wood as I may have jinxed myself...

IC, I thought the sleeping through the night thing happened when they doubled their birthweight? Having said that, both of mine have slept through well before hitting that weight target.

However, although DD2 is sleeping through (more or less), DD1 has taken to waking up. Poor little thing, last night she woke up with a poorly ear and it turns out she has hayfever (as I suspected - it fits in with her asthma and eczema!). So we've been to the doctor, got some tablets and I've packed her off to nursery!

Anyone having traumas about what clothes their LOs should be wearing? I had a winter baby last time and so it was just snowsuits all the way, but this warmer weather has flummoxed me and I'm constantly worried that DD2 is too cold or too hot when we go outside. Aargh.

Climberchick, try not to worry about your MIL. Remember that you are the mum, not her, and it will sort itself out (as someone who has a MIL who veers wildly between lovely and infuriating, I feel I can say that!). But in the meantime, rant away!

DD is 10 weeks and 9lb 4oz, and will sleep from 10pm until 7am most nights - in her own room now too
She's been sleeping a good 6 hour stretch since about 6 weeks - we can hardly believe our luck.
Just bought her a Bumbo seat as she's wanting to sit up or be propped up all the time now - she loves it!
She's growing up right before my eyes

Am now feeling slightly about my rant over not very much. Just handed in my PhD thesis, which with hindsight, might have had something to do with my increased stress levels. At least I didn't vent onto MIL herself. Am now feeling much clamer. Though all I got for handing in nearly four years of work was a very little piece of paper as a receipt.

Am choosing to ignore all the posts about long bouts of uninterupted sleep as LO has reverted from 5 to 4 hours. Once we get back from our weekend away, I'm going to TRY and stave her off for an hour with the dummy, so i guess the moses basket is coming back into the bedroom for a few days. Also ignored the post about someone resuming relations, am very (but begrudging congratulations anyway)

Now a month to prepare my baby atrophied brain ready for a 3hour viva. Lots of reading papers to come.

DS just had is 12 weeks jab and is really grumpy now!

I also discovered by going to the GP that my cs scar is lightly infected but we don't now if it's a stich or a hair so I'm under antibiotics

DS is now shouting to hear his voice and the new tonalities he can do. He also starts to grab things and hold them for a few seconds. My baby is growing up!

Congrats Climberchick what a huge achievement finishing a PhD with a newborn. Hope you're mightily chuffed! No need to appologise about having a vent re: MIL. It's much better to get it out of your system

Hoping DS doesn't fuss from 6-12 like last night

Hi All,

Not been on here for ages but have read back and you all seem to be doing very well with sleeping. Alexander sleeps in 3 or 4 hour sessions so last night it was 10-2 and then 2.30-6am which I didn't think was too bad. He's definitely less sleepy during the day - smiling and laughing all the time now, I even managed to get photographic evidence - farm4.static.flickr.com/3498/4558352530_44d0574e8e.jpg He loves being sung to, despite my ropey voice and waves his arms and kicks his legs about.

We had the most horrible scare on Monday though - we were at the hospital having his hip USS (routine for preemies) and I noticed a non blanching purple rash that had suddenly appeared on his face and head. I tried to stay calm but I asked a passing nurse to have a quick look at it and she marched us sraight to A+E. We were seen immediately - in front of all the other people waiting so I could tell they were worried. After 4 hours and loads of blood tests they said they were failrly confident he was ok but that we should keep a close eye on him and if the rash spread to bring him back. The only abnormal result was that he's a bit anaemic so we have iron liquid to give him (bright orange and he spits it out - great fun). I can't believe how panicked I felt - so gkad it wasn't anything. The consultant said it could have been a late reaction to his 8 week imms so now I'm really nervous about the 12 week ones.

We got a mai tai joey sling today - husband literally walked in with it minutes ago so haven't tried it out yet.

What a great pic, bearcrumble!

And top effort on the pHD, CC - blimey, I can hardly remember what I need to get from the shops, I'm very impressed!

Major at all those long sleepers - I'm in the short stints camp (although she goes back down quickly, so that's something). Last two nights she zonked nicely between 19.30 and 20.00 because I made sure we did the bath/bed routine at the same times... DD certainly seems to be a creature of habit in some respects...

...and not in others! Tried her in the Calin Bleu sling again today and she was fine (with application of the dreaded dummy), slept in it on and off for an hour and even wore her new sun hat without complaint - she doesn't usually take kindly to having things on her head.

Just as DD had gone off tonight, I managed to break the blackout shutter by snapping the belt on it - the whole thing came down with an almighty crash in our (and her) bedroom, sending it into pitch darkness at the same moment. Unbelievably, DD just stirred a little and went back to sleep. I hope this means she's not going to be a light sleeper like me, it's been a real bane over the years...

That positive post I wrote a few days ago where I thought I was turning a corner seems so long ago! I must have jinxed myself by writing it...

Poor DD has terrible wind and reflux and has spent the last two nights crying and screaming in pain. Really jealous of those of you whose LO are sleeping hours on end ... Last night DD and I both slept from 8 until 10, then I thought she went down at 12.15 but woke up at 12.40 and wouldn't sleep until 2 when I fed her... she then screamed and cried until 7.... when we both fell asleep exhausted until 10.30.... AAAghhh, her dreaded dummy kept on falling out and sending her into a rage, I wish I'd never resorted to using one now!

Poor little thing, she really does seem to be in pain... does anyone else get driven mad by having to mix up those bloody infant gaviscon sachets? Couldn't they have made up a solution!!! Trying to juggle a baby and mix up a powder is CRAZY!

Climber I am MOST impressed that you've finished a Phd... Well done!

IC I laughed at your blind story... every time I put DD down and try and creep around her cot so as not to wake her up, I drop something, or stub my toe, or trip up and make a noise... I am so clumsy when I'm tired!

Great pic bearcrumble... so cute!

Fizi my DD went mental screaming at me in the afternoon after her jabs (both sets ), gave her some calpol and she did the same as yours. Slept and slept and slept! Also more fussy while feeding, I noticed that I was leaning on her leg with my free arm while I was feeding her, which probably wasn't helping

If you're worried give your HV a ring.

2 nights of 11 til 6.30 ish was obviously enough for my DS, he was back to his 3am eat drink and squirm to burp/fart last night. Poor wee man, the wind really gets him upset. Still, those smiles and giggles make up for any lost sleep in an instant.

BearCrumble gorgeous photo and glad he got the all clear. Must have been so scary.

As for clothes, yes it's difficult to know how much to put on. I always take a small blanket for naps so that can always be another cosy layer. Looking out the window is really deceptive too, you just can't tell if its baltic or balmy.

Another step forward the sleeping through direction!
DS was fed at 8pm, bed at 8.30pm. Wake for 10mn at midnight, wake again at 4am for his feed, refused feeding, back to bed and slept until 6am!
So tonight the last feed would be at 10pm which should lasts us until 6am the following morning.

We're going down to France in 2 weeks and I'm now preparing a list of stuff for DS that we need to take with us... it's getting longer every day!