All New, Sparkly Fab and 40 + : Mums, Mums to Be or TTC. Come say Hi !

[jeanjeannie]

Hello all - well, this is our third message board..so it's a popular topic.

If you're a fab forty something then please come and say Hi!

The thread lives in pregnancy as that's where it started....but it's certainly no longer confined to just being about pregnancy. It's for anyone whose a gorgeous 40 something. So get a cuppa, bring some biscuits - or cake - and have a chat x

mrsb see my previous posts re green poo. K's goes from explosion in a mustard factory to green/yellow playdoh today All completely normal I am told by my MW (who is still visiting weekly to see K). Only ones to look out for are: white, black or any blood. Oh, and flourescent green or frothy). I'm told it's wind also and K is full of the stuff. Surprised I don't need to tie a piece of string around her ankle to stop her floating off.

JJ it's those first few grumbles while I'm just comfy in bed that make my heart sink...and think 'here we go again'. Then I'm up and awake and can't get back to sleep! Arrgh. I'm sure all the new mums out there are having the same probs. It's a wonder we have more than one baby!

K hardly has any milk before noon and then it's a free for all, especially after tea time until, well, when she's stuffed her face and she's knackered. Usually around 10.30. She's not going through the night every night though and it's hit and miss.

We have first follow up today at hospital to see K's consultant - who I call Crystal Tips due to mad hair. She's very nice though so I'm compiling small list of niggles I want her to sort out.

Strangely enough my period has come early this month after pretty much getting back to normal post natally. I suspect I'm on the change Anyone else had up the wall periods?

Am I right in thinking that Madonna is getting divorced? Caught back end of news and that's how it appeared to me but might be wrong.

Morning....Ooooo, celeb gossip before 9am! My, jw you are like Heat mag delivered direct to your laptop Well, I think she does have a face like a slapped trout these days and I certainly wouldn't want to arm wrestle her...
Stood next to her once in Gap -she was weeny.
She doesn't look much fun - I wouldn't want to be married to her.

Periods? What are those? I'm a bit confused by BF and periods....no sign of mine although pre-kids they were all over the place and that's why I was having tests to determine if the menopause was setting in.... I reckon it's probably just the hormones. Although apparently menopause is heriditary - my mum was 55 when hers stopped....whah - I've got that long to go.......

Hope all goes well with Crystal Tips - you should take your dog and tell it's called Alistair

mornin' all

well I am surprised its lasted this long (Madge and Guy)she most be a holy terror to live with. At least he's getting out before she manages to adopt any more nice photogenic babies on his behalf...
I had read in Grazia the other week that they were on some bizarre Kabbala relationship therapy whereby each had to continually whisper positive words at the other all the time - even when out in public. To stop them from shouting nasty things at each other I imagine...

jw I did remember your posting re green poo - just didn't remember that you had been told what it was.

I am flippin'shattered again this am. D didn't take a bottle between 4pm and 2am yesterday. He woke up several times in between and was bright eyed and bushy tailed so he didn't appear sick but I was begininning to wonder what was afoot. Had to wake him at 2am in the end as I couldn't go to sleep until he had fed. But he did and normal servuce resumed from then on. He does seem to be extra sleepy at the mo but when he is awake he is very awake.

oooh menopause - the topic of much discussion between me and my sis lately. Our granny gave birh at 45 and our mum startd the change at 54 so I reckon we might be good for a couple of years yet...

I have more Caramel and Hazelnut cake today. I am really going to have to take myself in hand...

I know my mum had hers mid 50's as I asked her. Not bothered really and it may just be a blip this month. Hair is really bad for moulting. It's all over the place and DH is amazed if he's not picking one out of his evening meal...he feels left out if there's one not in there It's terrible after a shower and plug hole is bunged up with them. I found one in K's nappy this morning I'll be bald by the end of it all.

Not sure about Heat JJ I'm more of a slow simmer Although I did look at Daily Mail website (it has it's finger on the pulse! meh) and they reliably inform me that it is officially over.

Well mrsb if K had gone that length of time without a drop of milk passing her lips, I would have been waking her up and pushing some in! But I'm cruel and I fret so don't listen to me. My thought on sleeping though (for what it's worth) is that they sleep more and eat more (but do it alternately), when they're having a growth spurt. I know they grow in their sleep and obviously need the milk for growing. I'm just so technically minded I blow myself away sometimes! hahaha. Not.

I'll take our dog along to meet Crystal Tips. He's not Alistair but Spud. I'm sure they'd get on splendidly! Actually dog needs a haircut and bath as he's dragging bits of the garden around in his fur. Stupid thing he is

well I did try jw whenever he woke up during the evening, but he was having none of it. Thing is the wee bugger knows his own mind and not a drop will pass his lips if he's not minded that it should. He's just woken up now and had 2 ounces and refused any more but he is happily sat in his bouncy chair looking around and smiling. For what its worth I think he went straight into a growth sourt in his first week or so and nw has come oout of it and is eating and sleeping less.

Could be wrong of course.

mrsb you could be right. It's not as though he's lost any weight and he's still gaining and my philosophy is, as long as they're putting it on, they're fine Also he's not crying and seems really happy within himself.

I think you get a gut instinct as to whether they're doing ok. Go with that one

K is the same refusing milk. Tongue comes out (like a lizard) and pushes teat away or she'll retch. Talk about strong willed little so and so's.

We're off out the door soon. Hate it. Hate it. Everyone is soooo ill at the moment I dread taking her anywhere. We only go to hospitals and doctors with her anyway but they're probably the worse possible place to go. Anyway, will be nice to see all the staff on the unit again.

Hiya - back from playgroup - OOoo, I'm pooped. At least you get a quality cuppa and a biccie there. I definately mark playgroups on their nibbles and drinks

mrsboogie yep - sounds like a growth spurt, before long the HV will probably be telling you to feed him the caramel and hazlenut cake !!

JW I've got a cat called Bob. I reckon 'The Adventures of Spud & Bob - the daring, hairy duo' - could be a kid's classic. First the book, then the tv rights from Cbeebies.....oh - I think we're already spending the dosh...yee ha! not to mention the license deal for the toys.....££££ kerching

I am CAKE-free......it's a disaster. For some reason i'm fancying mini-rolls.

hedgepig how's the feeding marathon going - is Oliver waking for feeds? And Rosebury are you bearing up too?

yawn (sleepy hedgepig uncurls her selffrom a pile of leaves)
well madge and guy are over ......hurrah maybe there will be less of them in the news or more likely there will be more of them in the news as the speculation of new partners grows.

There is a crisis at hedgepig towers I don't have any cake or biscuits in the house and our village shoppe is frankly crap for anything other than newspapers and the odd bottle of milk. I haven't faced driving to the supermarket yet as I am so tired I will crash the car. The evenings feeding was a disaster as young OL would not wake up enough to latch on, I managed to sneak some expressed milk into him from a bottle but it seemed a bit pointless to be waking myself up when he was snoozing.

mrsB i think the extra sleep is a growth spurt too, they need sleep to grow.

really hedgepig! I know you have just given birth but confectionery standards must be maintained! A lady should not find herself out of cake under any circumstances tsk tsk

oh jw I feel for you having to take Katherine out among the manky disease ridden populace When I took Darragh into work the other day I was secretly willing one colleague not to hold him as she had a cold - she didn't - thankfully she knew better..Hope it went ok for you.

oh mrsb how on earth did you hold yourself back from the diseased colleague?? I would have made sure she didn't hold my baby A kidney punch works every time.

Things ok at the hospital and consultant is happy with K's progress. She's 8lb 12oz today so a real fatty arbuckle. Just have to negotiate her ECG in 2 weeks time and hope with many fingers crossed that she doesn't need her duct ligating (closing) i.e. another operation. Not sure I have the strength to get through seeing K go through all the horribleness again. I think she's been through enough.

No cake here at all as I'm going for the burn to lose my lardy arse. Hopefully by xmas I'll have shifted the main ballast. God, I would so love some cake right now though. Low fat fromage frais just is NOT the same

I like the sound of the Spud & Bob books. Lord only knows what scrapes they'd get into but I'm sure that kids would love to read about when he used to find my used sanitary towels and rip them up or bite the gussets out of all my knickers...or eat shoes (just the one of the pair)....oh I could go on. He ate a bottle of tipex once which was mildy amusing for a nano second as he has black fur.

Ok, small straw poll. Who wears an apron when they clean or cook (pinnies count too). I do but I suddenly realised tonight that I'm very old fashioned (retro?) so come on, own up pinny wearers!

hedgepig letting standards slip?? Tsk tsk. Get thy self to yon corner shop and buy t'cake.

Apron alert.....DP wears a butcher's style apron EVERY time he as much as boils an egg He's quite bemused as to why I don't wear one.....cos I'd never be bleedin out of it - that's why Although if he'd like to buy me a boho chic Cath Kidston one then that'd be ok!!

hedgepig I agree with mrsboogie you NEED cake. It's good for you and when BF it replaces all that lost energy

jw good to see that Katherine is coming on a treat, most pleasing

Oh it's The Restaurant time and the dim duo Alistair and James are at The Marlow Regatta - well, we were there and clearly never noticed them! We went to the local garden centre for a jacket potato!!

Verity is howling - need to rescue her - she sooooo awake all the time at the moment. I need a hypnotist for her!

Virgin + the restaurant to watch with coffee tomorrow (no feckin cake ) Most looking forward to it

Thanks JJ for kind words re Special K. Poor you being so in demand from the tiny people in your house. It's draining...tell your OH you need another spa day out as 1 simply wasn't sufficient

lol@OH wearing his butchers pinny. What is it with men and gadgets/aprons/chefs hats/hi-jacking barbeques/fires!???? Captain caveman perchance? My DH dosn't know what an apron is....he's only just found out which door the dishwasher is behind (in playschool voice 'behind the beige door')

Looks as though MiL's house is now sold which is a miracle in this climate.....thank god we don't have to cut the grass anymore

jw to be honest I genuinely didn't now and couldn't decide whether it was entirely reasonable or obsessively fussy to request that the germ-laden one didn't breathe the same air as him. I guess because it was work and she had to be there while we didn't.

Anyhoo I have done it now and he doesn't have to mingle with the pox-ridden lumpen proles at my place of work ever again

Glad everything went ok at the hospital for Katherine and I will have everything crossed that she gets the all-clear as regards any further procedures. At least you know that all that cluster feeding has paid off

Pinnies? perish the housewifely though jw

Darragh has been awake and grizzling since 7pm. He screeched through the footie, spent dinner time being jiggled on my shoulder while I ate (I now have macaroni cheese in my hair and down my bra) and now OH is trying to programme a voice activated computer game and he keeps going waaah at precisely the wrong moment

hahaha mrsb the thought of the voice activated programme going off everytime Darragh cries.......that would be a lot then?

I think regarding germs I'm turning into a bit of an OCD like person. Only for K as I'm not bothered what I get. But I've washed my hands so much in Carex that my knuckles are red and bleeding. I think despite the help of Vaseline hand care, it's just taken all the moisture out of my skin and it's cracked. But hand washing can't be avoided so there we go.

K slept from 10.30pm to 7am this morning which is so lovely. That one night going through is giving me and DH the rest we need to get through the other 6 nights of waking. She's a good girl

I'm having an hours reflexology this morning. She's coming here and also giving DH a full body massage. Can't say how much I'm looking forward to having an hours relaxation. If she's any good (not used her before) I think might have a fortnightly treat

Whoo hoo!

JJ are you still alive or have the girls sucked the life out of you yet??!

Congratulations Rosebury I'm in total awe of your 30min labour with a 9lb-er!And love the name Austin...it was on my list but we already have 1 in the family and another amongst the friends I'm in even more awe of your dh making the catch!...mine was making an imprint of himself in the wall behind my head

Hedgepig Well done on getting your vbac even if it wasnt your ideal waterbirth. I hope Oliver is feeding better now..bravo you taking on the marathon feeding routine. Sil was a preemie who apparently slept continuously...mil used to gently flick her feet to keep her awake enough to feed.

JohnWorf your one night a week sleep...Alex has just once slept from 8pm - 7am with only one wake up!...and that was in the week before his birthday...3 weeks ago! Also very envious of your reflexology, if she's any good do you think she'll venture up 't valley?

he calls again...only had me up 4 times last night...and has just had an early nap to catch up

Grrrrr - shattered JW I'm a woman barely alive! Verity first woke at 11.30 for a feed. Then from 1-4am...constantly snacking. Then again at 5.45am and has been up ever since............WHAH! I was really trying to hang in there for the 6 months before weaning but I think this little one may genuinely need something else....??! I have no idea but it's been almost 2 weeks now - surely the longest growth spurt ever and she is on the 80th centile oh, I don't know - do I shove baby rice down her and see.....? AYE? NAY? Ah - you decide...

MrsBoogie PMSL @ BabyD wailing at the crucial moments And I totally get the macaroni in the hair - baby bouncing/feeding while trying to eat is just never easy.

JW soooo of your foot massage delivered to your door. We just get milk and a veg box!

floriatosca I'm feeling your pain on the sleepless nights. Just think - when you're up I'll probably be up too

MIL has Iris today so it's just me and the milk monster....I shall think about making her sniff some baby rice...

mornin' all

Well D had a feed last night at nine - continued waIling until midnight when he fell asleep and didn't wake up until 4am! He went seven hours without a feed which would be great except he was yelling at me for half of it! However when he did wake up at 4am I was so knackered I feigned unconsciousness and let daddy get up and do it (evil mummy )

jw loving the sound of the visiting reflexologist yum yum they should put it on the nhs for new mums (and dads)

Jeanjeannie Good luck with the baby rice..I will admit I too tried it at about 4.5 months under the pressure of 2 hrly bfeeds .. sadly for me it made no differece so I gave up on the rice and just knuckled down to his demands for more bf...it did settle down for a bit but has happened again several times since...most recently with this gastric flu bug 4 weeks ago ...and he is only just settling down to 2 feeds a night again now (though not last night)... I really should be down to a size zero the amount of calories he takes from me (on top of a healthy appetite for solids of course now)...all I can say is I must be eating enough cake whilst sleep walking (in the few hours he allows me) to maintain my rotund robust form. Hope the baby rice works for you. I'll be thinking of you when he sets off at 2am/4am/6am....

ladies - your thoughts please: I have got my sister coming for a visit in 2 weeks time for her birthday - now what are your thoughts on whether this is too early to leave baby D with his grandparents who live nearby for a couple of hours while we go out to dinner? He will be six weeks old and obviously feeding isn't a problem but I don't know whether I am being a cruel mummy for even thinking of it at this early stage.

I have no experience of this as my own mother has a strict policy of never babysitting her grandchildren (or even having them in her house for more than an hour at a time) so it never came up when my older son was a baby.

mrsb enjoy your night out. You deserve it...and by 6 weeks, you'll be deserving a George Cross too

Btw, your mum sounds a lot like my mum. I wonder if they're sisters

aye jw

oh she's a ahem one in a million my mum.

diplomatically put, huh?

Gosh what a day - can I go to bed yet?

CAKE! Oooo - I've got a cinnamon and raisin loaf thing....nah, don't like it much...boo hooo

Well, after having gone to the shops I gave up trying to give Verity any baby rice but it is on tomorrow's menu.

floriatosca I'm half expecting it to make no difference! Just think that if i give it a shot it may work....ho hum. And yes - I too should be a super-slim size zero....what's gone wrong. Couldn't be the cake....could it

Not tried the alcohol on her yet. JW & mrsBoogie I think you both may have mentioned this as a foolproof way of getting LOs to sleep May ask you for your thoughts on which tipple you'd advise. My mother (who's a bit like the nice old mum in Citizen Smith who always called Wolfie, Foxie!)always says she 'could suck the cork of a Harvey's Bristol Cream' when she's stressed. I may try it

jw how was your foot massage? Will you be indulging in the service again?

mrsboogie Run, run away to dinner. I think it'll be fab - babyD will be fine and you'll be all lovely and relaxed

Glamorous evening ahead. Manky Bob the cat has fleas so it's the whole fleas, worming & combing package for her (yes, it's a girl.....long story) and I may steam clean the kitchen floor ...woooo hoooo!

How odd JJ we seem to be inhabiting some strange parallel universe as DH, only tonight at my request, put the old Frontline on the walking rug of a dog. Indeed, spud and bob need to be acquainted, fleas and all. They're a match made in heaven

Ahem, reflexology and a foot massage are very different - so I'm told (by massage woman). She took me on a guided tour of my body using my feet. Well how else would I get around it? This little toe is not just a mere toe....it's a toe made from skin, topped with crimson nail varnish and embellished with scented oils... Oh sorry, that's the M&S ad...got mixed up Twas good and very nice and she's back in two weeks to give full body massage to both me and the old DH. The relaxation lasted ooooh all of 5 minutes until K woke up and screamed for her milk

You sound like you've had a shite day dear. And no cake even to make it better I vote Calpol cocktails all round. Hurrah! My mum voted brandy rubbed on gums...but in this case, you can rub it on your own and sod LO. You're more in need

Wonder if you can get a good nights sleep on prescription??

Restaurant was cringey again tonight. Scallooops anyone..........?