June 2023 Babies ☀️ (Thread Six)

[ireneadler101]

Thought I'd start a new one as the old one is full!

I'm 37w exactly and definitely starting to feel more Braxton Hicks (they woke me up last night) but they don't seem to be getting more intense/frequent. Also a bit of lower back ache and general bump tenderness, plus I think I've lost a small bit of my mucus plug. Think this is probably normal at this stage and just my body gearing up for labour but am quite nervous as have a c section at 38+3 and hoping to last till then! Second pregnancy but last baby arrived at 36w so feels like uncharted territory!

How is everyone else feeling?

For those of you using calpol/neurofen I feel like I'm giving it too many days in a row. It's been 6days calpol once at night only and 1.5ml and then switched to neurofen same once a day at 1.5ml at night. I know I can give more which I'm not going to as during the day dd is occupied and teething is less of a bother, but I'm concerned with the fact I am relying on it every night so she sleeps. She's had her jabs, sleep regression and teething all in the last week. Thanks

Anyone who has started weaning to solids by baby led weaning, is your baby able to pick up the foods properly? I’ve tried it with dd today but she can’t pick up anything yet. She can hold if I give it to her but her hands are not coordinated enough yet to baby led wean. She’s nearly 7 months now.

@Dewintergarden how long was your lo taking painkillers for? Curious for when Dd starts teething (she dribbles soooooo much so I assume it's soon!) Also hope they're feeling better now. Nothing sadder than a poorly baby imo.

@BellaTheDarkOverlord sorry it's not quite the same but when I let dd hold the spoon I think she's aiming for her mouth as she opens it but spoon still sometimes it goes in her eye/cheek half the time. I know your baby is a little older than mine but we were due around the same time in June. I'd like to do blw when dd gets to 6 months as she's having the odd taste or spoonful of puréed food.

Oh also is anybody getting phantom kicks? I'm wondering if it's the same twitches I've had before but because I've been pregnant now I associate them with the feeling of baby kicks? You know a flutter in your womb and a little under my belly button (where my womb would have been)? I think I've probably had three or four twitches now since having baby.

@toomanysausages Yes to the phantom kicks! I have them quite frequently and I/DH can feel them from the outside too. It’s so weird! I can’t recall ever having any twitches in my belly before pregnancy but maybe I did and now I just associate them with kicks, like you said. Very bizarre.

I’ve had a very grumpy boy the last 3 days, he’s usually happy but he is moaning all the time.
He is chomping on his hand a lot and dribbling but no red cheeks, he also seems a lot more hungry than usual, I give him 6 ounces every 3 hours in the day but he still wants more so going to up it to 7.

I’m not sure if this is teething or something else like a growth spurt? He’s 5.5 months now, I’ve given him Ashton & Parsons powder and Calpol, put teethers in the freezers but if anyone has other suggestions it would be appreciated!

Baby bonjela is good

@Ally1992 My friend swore by Anbesol liquid for her two children - she recommended it to me but DS is only 3.5 months and they have to be 5 months. You buy it over the counter - meant to be amazing

Thanks both, I’ve heard about the Anbesol. His cheeks were red yesterday so definitely teething but seems so much better today.

I think I might start solids soon, he just tried stealing a chip off my plate at lunch 😅

@Ally1992 how old is your LO? my daughter is 4.5 months (19 weeks) and has had red cheeks on and off for weeks, sometimes one side sometimes both, and v dribbly - does that sound like teething do you think?! She clamps down really hard on anything she can get her hands on, but can't feel or see anything yet!

Also, does anyone have any tips on getting them to sleep longer than 30 mins in the day?! She was pretty good til the 3/4 month regression started and now all naps are 30 mins on the dot!

@hanc66 he is 5.5 months, that does sound like teething, my LO really clamps down as well.

I can’t help with the naps as mine will only nap 30-45 minutes as well since the regression 🙈 does she sleep well at night? Mine will go 8-9 hours straight at night so I just think it might be all he needs, if he was overtired he would probably struggle more at night.

I think dd is going through another sleep regression as she learned a new trick this week - screaming in her sleep 😫The last two nights she has been screaming in bed but she’s not awake. I’ve managed to get her to quiet down by just shushing her or rocking the crib but it’s keeping us awake. Not sure if it’s teething pain but she’s been in pain for about 2 month and no tooth has come through yet, poor thing. Had to give her calpol last night just in case she was in pain. The screaming happens through the day too if she has a nap. Hoping this tooth comes through!

How is everyone?
Dd is 5 months now and I am thinking about starting purrees at the weekend. I've got some veg purree cubes in the freezer ready and going to roast a butternut squash tomorrow.

It's exciting times.

Planning on waiting until 6 months here as I have before, unless she swipes something off our plates before hand 😆. (She’ll be 5 months on the 12th)

Dd now 7 months and we’re doing a bit of purées but no solids yet. She’s started trying using her hands this week to pick things up so getting there. She’s at consultants tomorrow.

Called 111 on Saturday due to a nose bleed she started with. Was worrying but she’s ok and they didn’t seem bothered but I’ll mention it tomorrow to consultant too.

She has been trying to roll over but her shoulder stops her 😂

My ‘little’ one is 19 weeks and weighs 20 lb - he’s not fat but really tall (his dad is 6ft 3) so he’s going to be a big boy. Been advised by both GP and Health Visitor to start weaning at 20 weeks because he is so big. He’s definitely hungry- he loves his milk and gets really agitated if we eat food in front of him, needing milk straight away- but I am quite nervous about starting him so young. I expressed concerns as I wanted to wait but they told me he’s the size of an average 1 year old and needs food.
I feel like I might be judged, but other babies his age are half his size 🙈 Anyone got any advice on how to start the weaning process? I wanted to do BLW but he won’t be able to feed himself properly yet and they kept stressing how much he ‘needs’ solids now.

@Hoppyhops we're in a similar situation. Matthew was 18lbs at 18 weeks last week and our health visitor suggested weaning a bit earlier. She didn't give a specific time to start or say he "needed" food though. I'm planning to start him maybe at 5 months. Might just do purees until he's 6 months though. I thought until they're 1 year old they still get most of their calories from milk so it's more about tastes. I have one of those fruit feeder things and might just spoon feed him until 6 months then do more BLW.

Has anyone been through the 4 month sleep regression and come out the other side? Matthew was pretty much sleeping through from 10 to 14 weeks then all of a sudden started waking up 4 or more times a night. This has been going on 5 weeks now and I don't know what to do. It's so tiring! He's also not napping more than 30 to 40 mins a time so I don't get a break.

@Kelvie103 I’m thinking the same route towards BLW at 6 months. Purées now - and I need to get one of those fruit sucker things. I’m nervous though.

I know, I was surprised how much they were stressing we get started - I thought it was very much the opposite and they want you to hold off. He does have reflux and is eating an insane amount of milk though so I think it will help with that, eventually.

We seem to be coming out of the regression now too/ thank god. We just kept everything consistent and took shifts to get through in the end- lasted about 6 weeks. One nap a day is longer now, but I have to catch him as he’s going between sleep cycles and rock the next to me for 10 mins until he resettles. His night is nearly back to how it was - he’s never slept through but we’re getting about 4 hour stretches instead of awake every 20 minutes.

@Hoppyhops ow 20 mins, that sounds horrendous! We get 2-3 hours with the occasional night of hourly wakeups and I thought that was bad!

Matthew has alot of milk too. He has a bottle every 2 hours or sometimes will only go 90 mins. He was really grouchy with teething this afternoon so I put a bit of frozen strawberry in the fruit feeder to try it out to soothe his gums. Thought he'd just suck the juice out but he ate the whole thing! He kept grabbing it when I moved it away and cried when he'd finished. Weaning's going to be fun, he sure loves his food! Would recommend the fruit feeder.

@Kelvie103 Which fruit feeder are you using?

@Kelvie103 it was hell for a bit but we survived so hopefully it won’t be much longer for you.

Ohh yes that sounds like my DS with the milk. The fruit feeder sounds great- what one did you get? Glad he enjoyed the strawberry 😃 Despite being nervous, I am looking forward to seeing his reaction to different tastes.

I got the NatureBond baby fruit feeder from amazon. I liked that one as it comes with 3 different sized teats for different ages. It's easy to load up too as you can twist it to push the food into the teat.

Can't believe we are thinking about weaning already. It's absolutely flown by! DD is 22 weeks and is grabbing things and holding things well. She takes her dummy out and puts it back in which makes me laugh. She is showing interest in food but she is a bit wobbly and can't sit fully upright yet plus she still seems satisfied with breast feeding and 2 X 6oz bottles of cow and gate per day. Starting on green veg purees worked well with DS so we will do that first, maybe in 3-4 weeks time.
For anyone freaking out about weaning, this rhyme really helped me with DS as I was SO nervous..."loud and red - go ahead, quiet and blue - I need help from you". They cough and gag a lot but aslong as they're noisy, sat upright (they need good head control before weaning anyway) and go red in the face, they will in all likelihood sort it out for themselves ! We've got this mamas !

So dd was weighed today and she’s 14lb. Reading some of the above I can’t believe she’s so little at 7 months still but the consultant was really happy with her. They said to hold off weaning solids for now as she’s not showing all the necessary signs yet. They said they’ll see her again at a year old. He also said avoid being near people with colds and viruses over winter as it could result in bronchiolitis which would be disastrous for her. Winters going to be fun with an older school going child bringing colds home 🤔

Lovely updates! Have started weaning Dd (her main source of nutrition is still milk of course). She likes purées and will accept a tiny bit of texture. Her eating method is improving!! some flavours are lovely and make her smile and some flavours are unacceptable and her mouth is clamped firmly shut!! She's always watching me eat like 👀 going to order one of those nature bond feeders!

I think I'm up every hour/45 minutes most nights. Sometimes we'll get a 2 or even 3 hour stint but that's very, very rare. I saw a video on Instagram about the sleep regression being linked to rolling over or something like that so when baby can roll they'll sleep normally again. If that's true I am well and truly stuffed. Dd is a lazy bones and doesn't roll. Well, she does roll onto her side and back in her sleep and sometimes tummy but not when she's awake. We do tummy time, she has great head control, sits nicely etc but.. no awake rolling..