🩵🩷 Bumps 2 Babies & beyond #2 🩷🩵

[CheeseAndCrackersx]

New thread as the other was getting full 😀

@Mismatc same on the libido front. Feels like I could never have sex again and be perfectly content 😞😞 hopefully changes soon!

Anyone else's little one reaching a clingy stage? Mine cries whenever I leave the room for more than 10 seconds and refuses to sleep anywhere but next to or on me. Decided to soak in all the extra cuddles and love knowing that one day she will grow out of it! I used to be obsessed with training her to sleep in the crib etc but I'm so over it 🙃

@msp2023 and @novamama thank you. I took an early pregnancy test (well 3) and they were negative. According to the app I’m using (Flo) my period is due in 2 days but since giving birth it’s been all over the place and last month start 10 days later that usual so I’m not sure whether to take another test in a few days time or just wait a see if my period comes late again.

Our cycles are a bit of a mess post birth aren’t they? 🙈 hard to keep track of everything.

So I’ve been feeling really self-conscious about my body lately, no one has said anything but I don’t feel good in any of my clothes and really don’t want to go shopping and buy bigger sizes. My scar took a while to heal but my daughter is almost 7 months now and I really want to start losing weight in a healthy way to feel better physically and mentally but I’m just not sure where to begin. I’ve gains over 2 stones during and post pregnancy and I have a disability that makes fairly long stretching of walking hard and the lack of mobility added to the extra weight just makes me more exhausted than usual. My diet isn’t bad, apart from cups of tea and the odd biscuit here and there, I don’t eat junk food or takeaways.

I would love to hear how/if others have done anything to build body confidence post birth, I know this will look different for everyone and may not be able weight loss.

@Ebonythoughts I hear ya, about 6/7 weeks ago now I got to a point where I wanted to lose the extra bit of weight I had on. I downloaded my fitness pal to track my calories and bought a little kitchen scales to measure food weights (in Lidl), I changed from milky coffees (flat whites/ lattes) to americanos. It’s been gradual but I’ve 11 pounds off now and roughly 3/4 more to go but feel so much better in my clothes & feel a little more like myself. Lots of little changes deff add up ❤️

@msp2023 my LO sleep beside or on me & I’m cherishing every second of it, I know it won’t last forever, it really is all so temporary, enjoy it all x

@Mismatc im the same on libido, have zero interest. I know they say BF can suppress it so I think that could be affecting me but I’ve no idea when I’ll stop BFing. We have tried replacing a feed here and there with a bottle but she’ll only ever take 1-2 oz and she’s done so still feeds on me alot

anyone finding LOs puking up a bit since introducing different foods? We’ve had a few puking incidence and she never pukes so I’m wondering is she allergic to things or is it just their stomach getting used to all the various foods

Those which track temperature in babies room; what is yours? Mines always between 20-21 but little man keeps waking every 2 hours currently so I'm unsure if he's cold

Not sure why my username has changed back but hey ho 😄

@CheeseAndCrackersx we've had a massive range lol. We're currently at around 22-23, in a long sleeved Sleepsuit and nothing else. 24+ we do a short sleeved vest.

Seems okay for us 🧐 have you followed one of the tog guides online?

@CheeseAndCrackersx we try and keep the room at about 19/20 and she wears a short sleeved vest, sleepsuit and 2.5 tog sleeping bag. When it was warmer and about 23+ we did a vest and 1.5 tog sleeping bag.

I dress same as you @Meeting
Maybe I'm just overthinking it cos it feels cold to me when I go in there during the night but the gro egg says it's 20 summit.

I do check his neck each time and he feels warm just his hands or cheek feels a bit cold

This is a daft question but how are you keeping your rooms cool (if not with AC) 🤔
Even if I have the windows open, curtains drawn throughout the day etc, it never hits 20 or less in the current climate!

Just wondering - are your babies laughing quite often?
Mine rarely graces me with a giggle / will giggle more often for DH.

Maybe I'm just not amusing her haha but I thought by 7 months she'd be giving me proper laughs!

@msp2023
Little man is defo giving dad the big laughs daily, I get occasional ones when playing boo but I guess daddy is more daft/fun 😂

@msp2023 I have to work to get a laugh, dad gets them often also.

She's started getting on to her knees this week! And she's also said dada!

Sleeping is getting much better but she's waking at 4/5 everyday.

5 I can manage but not 4, any idea how I can help her stretch the last bit out?

@msp2023 we're lucky if our nursery is under 22 currently tbh :( but we're in the south east so maybe it's just that bit warmer here than elsewhere in UK

I've got a little Mr Chuckles, he loves a big giggle. Although I have found he becomes a bit over giggly when he's tired and it comes right before epic meltdowns!

Yes we are getting lots of giggles here. He loves it when I pop one of his socks on my hand and do a talking sock puppet... he also loves it if I do silly voices for any of his toys as well.

Is anyone else struggling with sleep at the moment? My LO just seems to be getting worse, frequently waking up, most of the time he just wants cuddling but other times he fully wakes up and is crawling round and chatting to himself and still wakes up at least 2-3 times for milk. He just never seems to be fully settled 😩 it's definitely starting to take its toll on me, as a lone parent it's so hard and I feel like everything is a bit of a struggle at the minute. I just need some bloody sleep!

@Sunshineclouds11 do you feed them at 4/5 when they wake? And does that impact on what you would like to be the first feed of the day?
Mine wanted to wake at 5:30 but wouldn't want much after their 3-5am feed (would drain the 6oz and then barely take 2-3oz at start of day).

So I started reducing that feed by an ounce every couple of nights (can do minutes if breastfeeding) and then once dropped and taking full bottle at start of day then push out the morning wake by getting back to sleep by any means, aggressive rocking/bouncing usually and continue holding to sleep, to push back the first feed.

The purpose of this is to set their hunger signals to kick in later so don't expect food until later. If they are waking due to hunger anyway, if other reasons then need to tackle them.
Also to hopefully set their circadian rhythm to start the day later, so try reduce any light exposure until ideal wake time - I don't open curtains until 7am and feed in dim/dark, which is getting easier with later sunrises now.

Short term pain for long term gain basically. Have pillows set up so can rest while doing the holding. It's definitely starting to yield results now but slow and steady over a few weeks.

We are now starting to bring forward the dream feed now by 10 mins every few days and once hit 9:30 then will start to reduce and expect will start seeing some earlier wake ups due to hunger so will anticipate might have to repeat the above until they are taking all their calories in the day. We use a dummy which helps a tonne.

@anony1111 I wonder if the above might help you but it will be shit doing the holding/stretching solo in the night. How much are they feeding, do you breast or bottle feed? Lose track of what everyone does haha. I have find now moving to a 3.5/4 feeding schedule means baby is taking bigger bottles in day and sleeping better at night, but if they are draining boobs/big bottles all day and night they might just need the feeds still. Can you enlist anyone to help in the morning maybe so can hack the nights? I do remember the night time crawling practice with my first though, we aren't there yet but now he's a tummy sleeper and more accepting of tummy time I'm sure that "fun" will come!

@Ihatewinding I do feed her yeah, I'm happy for first feed anytime from 6.

I'm going to try what you've said, jt makes alot of sense! thank you!

@Sunshineclouds11 6am is also what I consider "reasonable" haha. He just didn't seem to be dropping the night feed himself and was even drinking more (reverse cycling) so I aimed for something between waiting for him to do it naturally and sleep training him to drop it. At least this way with reducing the feeds every 2-3 days they can gradually adjust and make up for it in the following days to maintain similar intake. I did find as reduced the oz that he started waking later anyway, probably as reducing hunger drive.

It was a good few weeks of holding from 5:20/30-6 on and off before seemed to stick though so hope works faster for you. Tbh might have been quicker if we tried later on as his sleep has improved massively all of a sudden with learning to roll happily in daytime (was a few weeks after was doing in cot and getting upset) and how to replace his dummy after doing dummy training in the day - the things we do for a good night's sleep haha.

Even now will get up with him between 6 and 6:30 and not feed him for at least 15-30 mins as can just play/distract until then, he also generally does a morning poo so that's a good delay too! This makes me more confident that the dream feed can be worked towards dropping as I can see/tell he's not desperately hungry first thing.

Can you tell I have done a lot of sleep and night weaning research?? 😂

@Ihatewinding that makes a lot of sense when you put it like that. We bottle feed and he has 6-7oz every 3-3.5hrs in the daytime, then come nighttime I make 6oz bottles and it really varies on how much he drinks but sometimes he will only drink 2oz even though he has protested for the bottle.
Unfortunately I don't have anyone to help with the mornings so I'm just grin and bearing it at the moment. I do think the whole crawling thing isn't helping as he spends a lot of time rocking on his hands and knees whilst he should be sleeping 🤣🙈

@anony1111 so annoying waking to do a 2oz feed! That's what I reduced the night feed to then stopped and focused on pushing that wake/feed out as far as possible. Do you use a dummy? I found a dummy and bouncing worked to get him back down - kept a stool and pregnancy pillow by my bed to do this comfortably.

Am I remembering correctly you had bad SPD/PGP too? How's that going? I am hoping will get signed off at my next review 🙏hope you managed to sort some physio but I can't imagine how hard being a solo parent is and trying to prioritise yourself probably goes to bottom of the pile.

@Ihatewinding I know it's painful when you feel like you barely shut your eyes before he's awake again. Yeah he has a dummy, when he wakes I generally give him his dummy and if that doesn't work I will bounce him, if that fails I will stand and rock and then if that fails too I will try give him some milk. He is a very needy boy and has been since birth, I used to call him my little koala 🤣
I'm hoping this awful sleep is just a phase! 🙏🏼

Yeah that's right, I never did get any physio for it unfortunately as like you say I'm at the bottom of the pile. About a month back I was really suffering with my hips and back to the point I was struggling to pick baby up and walk properly but it seems to have gotten better thankfully! I still sometimes get pain in the pubic bone too but it's getting less often now. Do you get any pain still? Fingers crossed you do get signed off 🙏🏼

I wanted to share some news with you lovely ladies because I’m freaking out a little with excited and fear.

We were sure when our daughter was born that we wanted to have more children and were hoping to get pregnant but my daughter is two weeks away from 7 months and the reality of two kids under two has just hit me.

Anyone who has had children very close in age, please tell me that it’ll be ok. I’m exhausted and just praying we’ll be able to give them both what they need.

@Ebonythoughts omg!!! Congratulations my darling! This is amazing 🥰

Having a second child is going to come with it's challenges at any given age!! It will be tough but regarding. And in a few years they'll be best friends and entertaining each other - perfect!