AVIDLY addressing the key questions that WISE women ask....like 'full refund or credit note only?' and 'what this would item actually be on a cost-per-wear basis?'

[notyummy]

Hello all!

Oh yeah, forgot to add that none of my multiple sweeps ever made the blindest bit of difference. Both mine had to be forced out!

Great to hear from you Blue - you are doing so well and sound so stylish for such an early post-birth stage.

amber - fingers crossed that perhaps this is the start of something different for you sleepwise. It really does sound exhausting, and I take my hat off to you for managing up until now. I know that sounds a bit trite because everyone has to manage with what they get, but I am so rubbish with sleep deprivation that I know I just couldnt do it. We went through a stage of very early morning wakings which was bad enough, but I had gone back to work, so DH and I alternated them. He also used to do one night a week when I was on mat leave with a bottle of EBM - although eventually I would always wake up with engorgement 'isssues'....but still got more sleep than normal. Has she taken a bottle at all yet? Would DH doing a stint be an option? (Caution, for this approach you have to assume that DH knows exactly what he is doing and resist the temptation to intervene when there is a little bit of crying. As I discovered!)

MIM - I had an attempted sweep - the midwife's words were 'your cervix has folded it's arms and turned it's back on me.' It was facing the wrong way...and tightly sealed, so nothing could be done. Having said that, overall it was just like a VE, as Amber said.

ny she has started taking a bottle now which is a great relief but only takes a couple of oz. Also, there is no way on earth my DH, who works, don't you know, would get up in the night with her. And to be honest I wouldn't want him to, he is a hateful beast when sleep deprived (and by that I mean less than 9 hrs) so any gain would be quickly eradicated by having to endure his whining and bad temper. I love him dearly but he was so pandered to by his mother and his first wife he finds it very hard that he's often 3rd on my list.

Ah -can see the problem. I think we are the other way round tbh . I don't think I am as grumpy as you describe your DH, but I am definitely worse than my DH, who seems to be able operate on little sleep and be ok. He is one of life's worriers and often spends the night stressing....in fact, he once told me he woke up worrying that he didn't have anything to stress over - which meant he must have forgotten something important .

His Best Man (and best mate) is very similar and is married to a doctor. She can sleep through any noise having trained herself to sleep in various hospitals through lots of hulabaloo. She bf both their two DC until 6 months, but he had to wake her every night as she would sleep through the babies crying, and once she finished bf then he would do all the night wakings as waking her was harder than dealing with the babies in his opinion. That said, she is a consultant neo-natalogist so deal with tiny, tiny very sick babies on the edge of life and death every day so I think she needs her sleep! (Although he is a fast jet pilot so arguably needs a few hours too....)

Makes me determined to be like my DM who, if something wasn't literally hanging off, would just say 'oh, you're alright' and pack us off to school. I don't think too much sympathy is a good thing (babies and toddlers obviously different)

My DH said to me yesterday that he didn't know how I cope and before I had DD I wouldn't have thought I could. It's been a humbling experience in a lot of ways because before I would be horribly smug and judgemental about women who couldn't cope and walked out on their families but now I can understand entirely. I could never do it obviously but in the lonely early hours with just a grizzling baby for company I have thought how liberating it might be to just walk out the front door and shut it behind me. Sounds stupid but like mim said on the other thread, I do take comfort from dressing well and at least looking like I have it all together!

Good luck MiM - the sweep I had broke my waters and was a bit uncomfortable, but not much more than that. Fingers crossed!

Amber I really feel for you. Sounds like you're in the right place to crack it though. I know they're only babies, but my two definitely responded to a bit of sleep training when he could sense that I meant business. Not that I gave him a stern talking to or anything, but that I was a bit more resolute in my actions; leaving them for a reasonable amount of time before returning, not being as quick to whip out a boob etc. Good luck.

wow, what amazing jobs to have! That's exactly it though, I would have to wake him anyway, and then he'd be grumpy so it's less effort to just do it myself. I have always coped quite well on minimal sleep but there is a limit and I've just about reached it!

for amber and anyone else who might not get nearly enough sleep at the moment.

Fingers crossed for mim today!

Ollie thanks for the bag feedback.

Amber you are a saint to do so much of the night stuff/all stuff without throwing more food products at your DH. I am a bit worse than DH at coping with sleep deprivation (actually, I'm not, but he is in denial that he gets remotely grumpy on lack of sleep ), but luckily we're both complete larks, so have never struggled with early mornings.

MIM hope baby does the decent thing after your sweep. I've never had one, so can't even lie about pain levels to make you feel better.

I have my sister here today to do childcare so I can attempt to catch up on work. Luckily she is even poorer than me, so can usually be bribed down for a bit of dosh to look after one or other child. I need a sick up the arse so I actually do some work while she's here instead of drinking tea though...

Mim, I always refused a sweep but hope it works for you.

Amber, that is rough going, you must be exhausted, you poor woman! Either DH or I always wake the baby to give her a bottle at 11, maybe a bit Gina for you but it means we get another good stretch and if we don't give her a dream feed she is likely to wake in the night, although she has a great appetite by day and shouldn't need to at this age .

Blossoming, I'm also jealous. Lovely coat.

The coat arrived and is very nice indeed but too big and all sold out now. I ordered the navy Major J Brands from Shopbop and a couple of tops from Whistles (thanks, Florence!) to make up.

DD1 has the vomiting bug DH and I had now, just hope DD2 doesn't get it.

No daytime MN resolution didn't last long

Goo luck MiM. I've got one booked for Thursday and am dreading it. Really wish things would just get moving on their own! Going to take the dog for a long walk and see if that has any effect.

Dh is annoying me being quite funny by leaping up every time I move in the night thinking something might be happening .

red- I do feel fairly sanguine but I really really really don't want to be induced

bloss that trench is fantastic and will suit you perfectly.

Amber I hope sleep situation starts to improve. Massive sympathies from me.

We have had a major success here-dd has gone to sleep for a whole week without her dummies. I didn't make a big deal of it- just distracted her if she asked about them and miraculously she hasn't made any fuss at all. This is a girl who needed at least 3, had names for each one and classified them in terms of 'squishiness'. I would never have thought it possible!

Now all I need to to is try to manage without one for new baby (didn't want dd to have one but it wa that or completely lose my mind) and we will be a dummy free household

Icey maybe you'll be 'lucky' - neither of mine would touch a dummy despite my best efforts!

scarf we used the dream feed to great success with DS so definitely not too Gina for me, but DD will have woken and fed once or twice between 7 and 10 already. I'm hoping when I am able to stop bf (please be soon) I can use that trick on her though. Hope DD1 gets well soon and DD2 avoids altogether. Shame re. coat, but money saving!

hopefully would it offend you to know I do all cooking, cleaning, washing, ironing etc. as well? Feminism boards would not like me. I could do with a sister like yours, have only brothers, both much older, one with three kids of his own and the other who declares himself allergic to them.

icey my DS is still a dummy fiend, favours a pink one, which he threw into the thames last week meaning I had to get a replacement. My DD would not countenance the idea of one (heaven forfend it might make my life easier) so you might get lucky(?)

Hello all! I've been away at my parents for a few days, and as they're in the middle of nowhere up north there's been very poor Internet access, so I have been trying to catch up.

MiM and Icey, I had instant success starting labour with ds2 with a spot of nipple-tweaking (ahem, tmi) - my waters broke within 10 minutes and labour about 5 minutes after that. And I posted on here in that 5 minute interval!

Florence, thank you for that Whistles code, I have put lots of possibilities into my shopstyle favourites to carefully consider later.

Amber, my sympathies on the lack of sleep and the single-handedness required of you. It sounds like you're coping so well. Is there anyone who could stay overnight to help out, just so you can catch up a little? I'm similar to NY - DH copes better without sleep than me so dealt with the non-feeding wake-ups.

Red, I'm afraid I don't know any painter decorators round here (the joys of renting!); if you don't come across anyone, I can ask around on Monday when I'm next in the village, but I think you need someone soon before carpets arrive?

It feels like I haven't bought anything for ages. And I missed all the spring like weather this weekend (freezing where we were), so haven't had that 'spring is coming!' incentive yet.

MIM-I had sweeps just after term with DD1 and DS- not at all painful and worked both times. If your cv is favourable and they perform a good sweep, you have a v good chance of getting going. This baby waiting business is so frustrating. I wonder if yours is waiting a little for you to be in really good physical shape after all your ill health.
Fingers crossed for you too, icey!

blue- sounds as if you are coping v well with two under two or is it three?
You also sound exceptionally stylish for 2 weeks postnatal! You are going to out me to shame. :)

amber- sleep deprivation is just so rubbish. I don't cope well with it a all when it is as relentless as yours is. Could you get a little help perhaps- a cleaner and baby sitter/ mother's help just for a few hours a week? If your DH can't/ won't help a bit more, surely he could fund a bit of help for you. I can't remember if you are planning to go back to work nor what you do but it's worth thinking about how you would split things if you do.

scarfi- sorry that the babysitter didn't work out. Personally, I've always chosen to pay for a cleaner and have a small/ smaller amount for clothes/ socialising but it's a personal decision. :)

Good Morning ladies I wondered if I could borrow your collective brains. Is it possible to alter take in Jeans.

like these but they are too big

Inspired by MrsCB so thanks.

Amber you would be chased from the feminist boards with a big stick! My mother would like you though - she is always appalled by how much DH does "after a full day at work, the poor chap," even though when she helps out with me at home she is so knackered that she is usually in best by about 8:30pm, so is well aware that in many ways it's harder than sitting and staring at a computer

I am ploughing through my work today, which is good news. I think I may reward myself with one of the Love Quotes scarves I linked ages ago but never bought. And possibly a Stella and Dot bracelet. And maybe some earrings...

Hi Slay, yes you can take in jeans, but unless your tailor is absolutely brilliant I wouldn't particularly recommend it - it is often very visible where they have been taken in due to the weight of the denim.

Oh blimey, what are the little boys on this thread wearing for World Book Day?

Amber I hope it improves and quickly. It is so awful I know.

MiH blouse from Matches is here, looks good will try on later.

looby I'm my own worst enemy really as I hate the idea of someone else doing my cleaning for me (stupid isn't it, because obviously people do it out of choice) but I think I will have to relent when I go back to work. I only work 3 days per week and my career has had to grind to a halt in order to facilitate DH's (but his earning power is potentially huge so fair enough) so my job is relatively low pressure. It will probably feel like a break to be working truth be told. Last time I went back (only one DC but already had second in the oven) I still did all housework and night wakings though these were relatively few. Hopefully she'll be sleeping through by then and I won't be so knackered. This has pretty much knocked the desire for DC3 right out of me!

blue you sound so happy and chic. Well done you! Hope you're not too tired!

florence thanks for heads up, am off to get my copy now!

I think I might get a agency to come every couple of weeks and do the cleaning jobs I hate! I am going to get the babysitter the odd afternoon when I have something I particularly want to do and a couple of nights a month as we need to go out more. I seemed to spend a fortune each time I had the babysitter on stuff I'd then have to go back to return.

DD1 seems ok now, thanks Amber, but won't eat anything at all.

I'm really looking forward to having a regular good babysitter too. The best ones I know are at the nursery so once ds2 is in there we can use them to go out at night together. Can't wait!

It's so much easier to use someone regularly and know them.

Thanks for all the replies about sweeps.

Icey, I do feel for you re: induction. Luckily, thats not an option for me, so by that point the decision will have taken out of my hands. I just feel like I am in a race against time to get the baby out before it gets too big. Great news about DD and the dummy. I am hoping to not use one this time too, but yes, it saved my soul a number of times with DS.

Amber you poor thing, I really hope things turn a corner for you. Sleep deprivation over a sustained period is just the pits, it really is.

Had a quick snoop around Whistles this morning, but nothing caught my eye. Lots of nice things but I suspect I am just in that place where I cannot imagine wearing normal clothes now.

Marsha will be interested to hear about the blouse.