Misery loves company: riding the mo fo out into Part II

[ElphabaTheGreen]

In our last exciting instalments:

Needles was at breaking point with a screaming 10 mo DD

Hear had experienced the magic of ONE unbroken night!

Dreaming was continuing to confound all with her ability to manage three children on four or five minutes a night, thanks to DT the Terrible.

Stitch was still having her sleep eaten by...erm...Stitch.

Poppy was pondering how the actual fark she was going to manage a newborn on top of BabyAmex's night time shenanigans.

And the desperate Elphaba had turned night duties entirely over to DH with mastitic results.

Join us with your stories of misery and woe in this, the most sleep-deprived corner of MN!

Hear What happens if you read a lot of books in her room with her? Can you keep her up peacefully until she's ready to go to sleep that way or is it still just meltdown? Did she sleep OK that night?

elph I wouldn't know what to do if mine did that! come.on mini elph mark 1, you can do it, you're our sleep mascot now.

Solo bedtime and no strangulation of DT the T. success, right?

meeting a lady about some private work tomorrow. Nervous. not done anything to prepare. As in nothing. No idea what to wear. Or ask. Or say. Bit late hey, meeting is 8:30 am!

How did you get on Dreaming? Surely the fact that you manage three toddlers on zero sleep, almost never lose it and still have a sense of humour is enough of a CV for anyone?!

Elph, my DD1 was more curious watching me feeding DD2. We weaned at 18 months as she seemed ready and I wanted a gap between stopping and DD2 arriving. DD1 tried copying her baby sister once or twice but obviously couldn't remember what to do so just put her mouth on my boob! Felt a bit weird after stopping so long ago but I didn't make a thing of it and she got over it pretty quickly. Worse was her seeing me express, pointing at me and going "moo, mummy. Milk! Cow!". Nice.

Having said that, girls are generally less likely to try and cop a feel when the opportunity arises!

DS was most certainly not ready to stop at 17 months but I was as his only feed of the day was for an hour starting at 4am. Ugh. Because of that, I think, he's never really lost his attachment to my boobs - he rests his head on them, pulling down my top so he's skin-to-skin with them, buries his face in my cleavage, is forever reaching into my bra and always looks longingly when I'm getting changed. I was lying on the bed in my pyjamas the other day, and he leapt up, yanked up my pyjama top and started burying his face them. I really would not be surprised if he tries to start up again when DS2 arrives. Given his druthers, he'd be one of those that would still be going in primary school, I'm sure of it.

How did the 'job interview' go, Dreaming?

Dd was fine with stopping bf but it then took another 6 months to reduce her attachment to my boobs. She was obsessed with then, top up or hands down my top anytime she was in reach of me. It drove me mad. It took a lot of work a persistence but she is much better now.

We have had a success with bedtimes. Dh has now put dd to bed twice with no bother at all. In fact he did it much quicker then I have managed.... which seems a little unfair somehow

DS has fucking tonsillitis. Took him to A&E today after almost two days of refusing food, spiking temps and refusing Calpol and ibuprofen. The last straw was he came out in an all-over rash. Naturally, he took a syringeful of Calpol off the nurse like he does it every day When they told me I'm going to have to get 5mL of antibiotics down him four times a day I could have wept. No idea how I'm going to do this. I've wasted 10mL already tonight trying to get some into him. Won't. Have. A. Bar. Any suggestions welcome. He won't let a syringe or a spoon of the stuff near him, and if I sneak it into something (juice, milk, milky decaf tea with sugar which he loves) he goes 'Bleugh!' and hands it back to me. It's the same whatever the flavour or colour.

Well done on the improvement in bedtimes Hear! Let's hope it sticks.

Your pour ds elph! I suffered horribly with tonsillitis in my childhood and it really is grim.

With medicine when dd is being like that we end up pinning her down and using a syringe to squirt it into her cheek. Dh is the master at this, he shoves it in when she is screaming blue murder and it's down before she knows what's happening. I imagine being rather pregnant may lend an extra level of difficulty to this though.

Last night it took me an hour to get dd to sleep, dh just did it in 10 minutes! I am starting to feel a little bit put out.

Elph, poor DS - and poor you too. Luckily DD1 is now (usually) good at medicine but I remember having to do Hear's technique when she was really poorly as an 11 month old and refused everything - even boob some days! It was awful having to pin her down on the carpet at6 2am and syringe it in to her cheek - apparently its much harder for them to spit it out that way.

Hear, I share your pain, my DD1 is often much better at settling (and re-settling) for OH which is extremely annoying given I've done all the work! I suspect its partly because she knows I am a softer touch than her Daddy… However, I suggest you take advantage as I did and get DH to do all bedtimes whilst you lie on the sofa eating chocolate and watching crap telly do something productive with your newfound spare time!

Threw another wobbly this morning after v crap night - we had friends round who wouldn't leave so DD1 ended up not going to sleep until 10pm and then waking at 4, 4.30 and 5 when she came into bed. DD1 was up every hour from 11 till 6 and OH had drunk too much and snored all fecking night. Finally got everyone off to sleep and went back to sleep about 6.30 then OH managed to wake everyone up at about 7.30 because he was going mountain biking with friends. Completely lost the plot (not sure I even found it from last weekend TBH), threw pillow at him and swore a lot. Again. Am just waiting for DD1 to come out with the 'f' word - no doubt she is saving it for the next trip to the Drs/HV/MiL!

Anyway, I then told him that he couldn't go off with his mates, he had to stay and look after the kids so I could get some sleep. He thought I was being extremely unfair as he "had booked it in" (i.e. wrote it on the calendar!) and "it was his only leisure time all weekend" (somehow me looking after the kids is holiday, but not him?!). I said tough shit and went back to bed. Was that unreasonable? I've never made him cancel anything before but just felt I couldn't cope today with an extremely over tired toddler, a tired baby and zero sleep myself.

YANBU, charlie. LTB

I tried the cheek squirting thing earlier today when I was trying to get Calpol into him to try and get his temp down. What he didn't spit out, he vomited up because he was screaming and gagging so much. DH has suggested taking him out tomorrow for every dose as he tends to be generally well behaved in public. Sounds a little tiring and expensive if I have to factor in a cafe visit which he particularly loves.

Just got Calpol into him in a cafe where he's also had a few millilitres of juice and is sniffing a piece of toast.

Antibiotics, however, got spat all over the shabby-chic table Going to the GP this afternoon for any magic solutions.

How is your DS now Elph? Hope you've managed to get some antibiotics inside him and he is feeling better.

After all I said previously - DD1 was suddenly obsessed with my boobs yesterday, watching me feed DD2, prodding and poking at them and asking for milk. I kept offering to get her some milk in a cup but she wasn't impressed! Maybe she has been reading my posts!

Sleep is still going pretty rubbish around here. Last night counted as a "good night" with wake ups at 11, 1.30, 4 and 6.30 (DD2) and 3.30 (DD1). Needless to say DD2 was wide awake at 6.30 whilst DD1 slept beautifully then they swapped over at 7.30 just to make sure there was no chance of me dozing off again - I swear that they conspire!

How is everyone else getting on? We've booked to go to my mum's in Spain for a week and a half (me and the girls) - am very nervous!

I've jibbed the ABs completely. We got a grand total of two doses into him over three days (it was supposed to be four doses a day) and he got better very quickly anyway, so I put it down to over-zealous prescribing by the GP and gave up on the whole miserable escapade. His sleep was understandably disturbed when he was ill, but last night he did a blissful 8pm til 6:10am without a peep. He's also started taking himself back to bed if I don't get up when he calls me. If he sounds distressed in any way, obviously I'll go to him, but sometimes just after lights out, or early in the morning before the GroClock has changed, I'll hear a very perky, 'MummymummyMUMMY!' wafting down the hallway. On three occasions now when I've ignored him, he's taken himself back to bed and either gone to sleep, gone back to sleep, or at least stayed quiet until the sun comes up on his clock. Little. Champ.

Dreaming's gone quiet. I hope it's because she's catching up on three toddlers' worth of sleep...

Oh, and for reasons known only to himself, DS's latest word is 'breakfast', pronounced 'hot dick'.

That one is an absolute classic! I think you should try and record it for posterity! Must remember to write some of DD1s down in her baby book as experience tells me her toddler years will end up as much of a fog as her baby ones…

Hello all. I'm still here. Just can't get the mn app working at all any more. Currently sweating under the covers posting while trying to get DT the T to sleep and stay asleep . Summer cold and reflux. Urgh. He's had some bad nights this week waking and screaming inconsolably. Slept 8-8:50 the other night. Then woke distraught. Then perked up and ate lots if my tea (so think reflux not illness as ill toddlers don't just perk up and scoff and bounce around happily do they? My other two don't anyway. He ended up out looking for bats in the garden at 10:15 pm.

Anyway. Printer cartridges arrived so can finally print your lady's documents elph thanks. No sign of when she'll fix the Terrible Twins though. Dt2 had been mostly sleeping through. Til the last 2 nights when he hasn't. Dd keeps falling out of bed (her bed guard now on Dt2 bed) . I'm nervous as dh away tonight. For root canal surgery tomorrow so hardly a special treat. How ridiculous to be worried about a night with your own dc.

elph for 2 weeks DT the T fought every syringe and every dose. He vomited them and his tea up, he was distraught. He gradually gave up and we could syringe into a cheek. Giving reluctant toddlers/babies medicine is my specialist subject. Along with pushing two smart trikes to the playground and back while supervising my defiant 3 year old on her balance bike. Glad he's on the mend. Hope its fast and he sleeps for you again. What's your due date?? I'm getting excited about your ds2! Wish I could shift my broodiness. ..

Adding multiple dc wake ups from multiple children into your night is a total bitch Charlie sympathies. Maybe it'll be so hot in Spain and they'll be so busy they'll sleep well?!

My due date is 9 August, but if this one's a monster like DS1 was, it'll be ELCS around 2 August. My pelvis is too diddy to allow the passage of my whopping babies you'd never think it looking at my arse I've got a scan on 10 July to check size, and if he's over 8lb, it'll be a non-starter for a natural delivery and the CS will be booked. I think if he is small enough to see if it's worth trying a natural delivery I'm going to ask not to be induced. I'm sure that's how I hit dramas last time - 12 hours of pointless induction, ending up with a PPH, a shocking bloody awful recovery and a baby in SCBU on antibiotics. If my waters break spontaneously like they did last time, and there's no action within 24 hours, they can cut straight to the CS. I'm not pissing about with that drip or pessaries. I dilated exactly 0mm and just got exhausted, over-medicated and incapable of looking after my sick baby.

Who now sleeps like an absolute legend. Playing 'sleeps' is even one of his favourite games at any time of day now. He asks for his 'choo-choo night-night' (read: Thomas the Tank Engine blanket), arranges some cushions for himself in the floor, then lies down and starts snoring melodramatically. If feeling benevolent, he hands me a blanket, sets up a cushion on the floor for me at a discreet distance from him, advises me to lie down and pointedly says, 'Night night, mummy'. The dogs don't escape either, but they're a little less compliant - it usually involves several laps around the house, DS chasing them with a blanket, wailing 'NIGHT- NIGHT, GOGGIES!', before he pins one of them, starts rubbing and 'shh-ing' furiously then snoring on trapped-dog's behalf. Fortunately, they're small and gentle beasts

sounds a bit like my grim birth with dd elph. waters broke. They faffed about and didn't believe me for a day as it was a hind water break- despite the fluid testing positive for amniotic fluid . I put off being induced as long as possible so began 30 hours after my waters broke. Long story short dd born 56 hours after rupture of membranes, third degree tear, pph but luckily she was okay. due to prolonged rupture of membranes her temperature was monitored but as she didn't spike a temp no antibiotics. phew. When they'd said it's he an unfavourable induction due to high, posterior closed cervix I said I wanted an elcs but wasn't allowed so get yours agreed elph! though I thought they didn't induce after a cs? or did the 12 hideous hours end in an equally hideous vb?!

In other news Ann has emailed. dt the T is due to be transformed Typically he's poorly atm. Cold, cough, mucousy so vomiting everything up, up screaming, arching and inconsolable in the evening etc etc. marvellous.

How's your dd hear ? anything to to report?
and yours Charlie- how long til Spain? !

meant to say elph elcs was a walk in the park compared to hideous birth #1. Quick and easy recovery. I lost more bloody than normal for a cs because it was a twin section but less than in my pph and felt bloody great after a week. Drove after 15 days. paracetamol only after day 6 as I'd been nauseous and vomiting from.accidentall taking diclofenac on an empty stomach, mws didn't say to eat with it and I didn't think, that did hurt . Overall verdict, Lovely.

No, 12 hours ended in EMCS - I never dilated because he never descended and once they got in there, they realised why, and that he never would have done (weeny pelvis, massive baby). I was told pretty categorically at the time that I'd never be able to do a natural delivery because of the size of my pelvis, but I'm now in a different hospital in a completely different part of the country so they think I'm being delicate They will do inductions after a CS, but only short ones, apparently, so your old scar doesn't rupture I may be picking your brains about lugging a toddler post-CS in a few weeks' time Dreaming...

Yay for Ann! Hope it works as well for you as it has done here!

It's fine! I did most damage by carrying 2 car seats out to the car (equipped with babies) by 3 weeks post section. my step sister has had 3 c sections for biggish baby (8lb ish, no monsters but big heads) and her small pelvis. I wouldn't have guessed small pelvis to look at her actually (that sounds rude, she's a size 10-12, slim now though used to be big, grew vast when pregnant and just didn't have titchy looking hips, looked 'normal' to me!). I found i could hold her for a cuddle by day 5 with someone taking some.weight under her bottom for me and I thought it was going to be dreadful and I wouldn't be picking her up for weeks. But then it got so much better all of a sudden and I tried not to but was picking up by 3 weeks later. I figured her weight wasn't too bad as I was carrying two boys around anyway from day 2 after having them. mw kept giving me 'the look' of don't carry two at once in hospital, though maybe from a health and safety pov?! I ignored them- easier to ignore that than their screams

looks like she can start for us around 23rd June and have a weeks break in July when she's away at a conference. oh please let it work! It's vomit-gate around here now anyway, he's poorly :(

Oh, and by damage I mean bringing back old problems from a shitty vaginal delivery not the cs scar! embarrassing vaginally wall bulge and pain in scar down there

I spent 16 hours not dilating. Bring told I'd have an emcs for failure to progress then told oh, we'll give you another 4 hours. then I'd dilated 1cm so they said another 4 hours etc. I was dead keen for a vb so always agreed. STUPID! in hindsight wish bid had the cs buy hey ho

Bloody hell, I'm impressed either of you was brave enough to get pregnant again! Elph, I thought women had the right to choose these days? I had certainly heard that induction after any CS was not a good idea?! A couple of friends of mine have had ELCS after EMCS and said it was great - all very chilled and happy and they ended up with a neater scar.

DD2 was 13 days late (and about 30 minutes short of 14 days!) and I was terrified of being induced. I told the consultant that I would prefer ELCS to induction - he did say that it was up to me. Luckily in the end a fab midwife gave me the sweep to end all sweeps (I swear she was practically at my tonsils!) and DD2 turned up less than 8 hours later - bloody intense and painful compared to DD1 but no scary medical stuff thank god!

Less than a week to go to Spain! We fly at the crack of dawn next Weds. Lucky, lucky other passengers! Thankfully my DM and DSD are flying out with us so extra hands to catch the escaping toddler and lug the increasingly heavy baby.

I saw a comment the other day that sleep deprivation results in a need for retail therapy… I think I may have been exploiting this excuse somewhat! But then again having been pregnant and breastfeeding for the last three years I haven't really bought any clothes other than maternity jeans for the same length of time. That's my excuse anyway and I'm sticking to it!

Dreaming, that is such exciting news about Ann! Hopefully DT the T will soon be transformed into a sleep genius like Elph's DS!

I think I've come to the conclusion that DD1 will never STTN reliably until she has finished teething. Bedtimes are (mostly) much better, but she slept through every night for a week, but this week she has woken every night, at least once, and sometimes three times. Last night she was up for over an hour whilst we waited for the calpol to kick in.

I read somewhere that blondes and redheads, and girls in particular find teething worse than others. Great, that bodes well for equally blonde DD2 then!

Oh, I've one dark blonde, one redhead (dt2) & one blonde (dt the T). Though I can't see how it would make a difference. dd didn't usually have much trouble teething. boys maybe a bit more so but I fund it so hard to know what pain they have and where though do sometimes blame teeth!

Bloody teeth. Bloody wind. Bloody noisy birds and light mornings. Bloody noisy crying DC waking each other up/stopping each other from going back to sleep.

No bloody sleep. Whingey, overtired, tantrummy puddle of a toddler. Baby now blissfully, deeply asleep in middle of the bed.

Where's the bloody gin anyway? Is 7am too early?

I'm at a conference sponsored by solicitors. Offering a huge array of pastries before anything has even kicked off to a whale person in her third trimester is HAZARDOUS.

Where the jeff is Hear?