PS Mommy Thread-Newborn to 12 months!

[PilsnPinkysMom]

3:20 AM pumping session over here!

Missy- hope that B stayed asleep tonight and caught up on some rest. No big deal that a bath is missed, ya know? Maybe the dark/light room is the key to him napping better in the evening. Hope tomorrow is just a bit better than today and that this phase (if that's what it is) passes quickly! Hugs.

Do gripe water and mylicon drops help with gas in general, or just burping?

We got E to sleep in her crib for a while tonight. 11:30-2:30 or so. I told DH that if he could get her to sleep in there we could attempt some "adult time." We haven't done that since her birth, so needless to say he was eager to get her to sleep! Neither were as bad as I thought- though my conclusion is that i'm fine with delaying both sex and moving E out of our room just a bit longer.

DH actually did want to celebrate my birthday today. We went out for sushi, which the baby ensured we did not get to eat or really enjoy... sounds terrible, but we laughed about it the whole way home. Welcome to parenthood! DH got me a football jersey for our NFL team (I wanted one- I don't understand football much, but I like the camaraderie and tailgating!), and Eloise got me a new MacBook to replace my '08 one that's about to die What a kind daughter!

 

[bobbin]

NEL: Re C's naps - I meant that she is only sleeping for 45 minutes at a time during the day. No matter how I settle her, 45 minutes later she wakes up. So I am trying to extend that to at least 1.5 hours by settling her in the pram and rocking her back to sleep when she wakes after 45 minutes. I am having varied success. Sometimes it works well, others she just won't go back to sleep.

WHen I posted about the bath cradle, I hadn't thought about why a bathseat would be good instead. A few days after I posted, C decided she had had enough of lying down in the bath and wants to SIT. So now we have to hold her upright so she can sit in the bath. So now I am thinking I might buy a bathseat after all!

Meg: I too agree with the others, please feel free to come here and post about the difficulties you are facing. You are not alone and everyone on here would love to be able to help you out by listening to you, giving you a place to vent and offering support. I am so glad you came back and shared how you are feeling. It was very brave and I think more women should talk about this stuff.

Steph: Are you back at work now? Hope the transition went/goes well. It must be hard to go back, but like a lot of the mama's here I am sure it will be something that you get used to in time.

Pancake: I borrowed 'Roar' by Alison Lester from the library the other week and didn't want to return it! It is a cute book. I think I need to go and buy the series.

Mayerling: I saw your other thread about weaning - have you started the process yet? I hope it goes smoothly for you and that you are feeling okay about it.

LC: Is E sleeping better now? I have no suggestions for you - I am totally lazy and when C wakes up during the night she comes into bed with me for a feed and then spends the rest of the night there! Re books, you could get this one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xtcB457jqQ - warning, there is swearing in the video (and for context, the reader is a well known kids TV presenter in Aus - on Playschool for many years!) .

China: Naww, Ivy is so cute. It is normal for BF babies to go up to 5 (I think -maybe 7) days without a poo, so if Ivy is comfortable, I am sure she is fine.

FDL: I am not too sure, but out of the things you have listed, I can say that even when C was a newborn, I was (and still am) getting more sleep than when I was in my 3rd tri. DH and I have been to the movies together twice since C was born, and I have been with my mother's group a few times too. We also have been going out to dinner regularly up until now. C is just now starting to get ratty and will resist sleep if we are out past 8pm, so I think dinner will have to be moved to about 5pm if we want to go out. THe biggest thing I think is to go on dates and enjoy it just being the two of you! We still do most of the things we did before C, but we don't get ANY couple time anymore.

BB: I wouldn't bother buying nursing bras now - as Pancake said, your bb's will seriously fluctate in size after the baby is born. I went from an E cup during pregnancy to a GG cup when my milk came in!! If you do want to buy a couple now though I found that Hot Milk bras were very comfortable, and I have also heard good things about Cake bras. I bought a few Lovable (which I think may be an Australian brand) maternity singlets to wear in the hospital and now as a pyjama top. They have a built in shelf bra and are soft and stretchy so will accomodate any fluctuation in size. They are not enough support for me to wear out and about though.

Freke: Yay for crawling! Boo to teething. Out of curiosity, what does it mean when they are dragging one of their legs when crawling?

PPM: Happy birthday!

I am glad you feel comfortable opening up on here. And don't feel embarrassed re the doctor. I am sure they understand that you are a great mama who obviously loves her little girl very much, but is dealing with PPD which makes you think fleeting thoughts like that.

I am 9kgs away from my pre-pregnancy body. I am feeling okay about my weight at the moment as I am losing weight (have lost about 5kg in the last 7 weeks) but I am a long, long way off feeling like my pre-pregnancy self. I have a wobbly tummy now, and stretch marks, and pelvic floor weakness, and a recurrent anal tear ( ). It is going to be a long road to getting back to how I was before, and I bet you anything that when I start to feel like my old self, it will be time to TTC #2!

AMC: tummy time doesn't have to be on the floor - maybe try lying down and putting him on your chest?

Monarch: What a happy, smiley baby

AFU:

Thanks everyone for the advice re my mother's group friend. I am still tossing up how to approach it so that she will take me up on my offer.

I am heading to my home town on Tuesday and we will be gone for 3 weeks!!! I am a bit nervous. DH isn't flying down with me (long story) but will be flying down Sunday week. So I will be on my own with C for her very first flight ever. It is a 2.5 hour flight leaving at 6:30am. She is usually asleep at that time still so she will either fall asleep easily on the plane, or be really ratty because she was woken up early.

C is rolling both ways now, although she gets her arm caught underneath her when she rolls from back to front. She is also sitting unassisted for short periods of time.

Her sleeping patterns at night are still unpredictable though. Some nights she sleeps through, some she wakes at 1am, others at 4am. She is consistently going down at around 9-9:30 though, no matter what time we start her bedtime routine, she will hold out until then!

Oh, and I caved and gave her some solids to try. We are doing baby-led weaning. She really loved the broccoli and carrot, but wasn't so keen on the capsicum. I was planning on waiting until she was 6 months, but reasoned that she probably wasn't actually going to eat any, just play with it and taste. Well, we gave her the broccoli on Friday night and the capsicum on Saturday, and on Monday they made a reappearance in her nappy I then said we would hold off, but she has been having a little taste of my pear the last few days (she lunges for it, grabs it and sticks it in her mouth if it comes within range).

 

[amc80]

AMC: tummy time doesn't have to be on the floor - maybe try lying down and putting him on your chest?

I tried this last night...and he couldn't seem to fathom that he would be on my chest without being fed. All he did was search for my boobs and suck on my chest! Soooo....propped up with the boppy it is!

 

[S&I]

Monnie, A is such a cutie - love that smile! Yay for her still STTN too, that's great. Our A is 5 months old and still not consistently STTN, nor is he rolling on his own, ha!

Pancake, hope S gets over her cold soon. A seems to still be congested, but no longer feels warm and is coughing/sneezing less. I also got some goobers (hehe, love that) out of his nostrils with the bulb, so I'm hoping he's over the hump and recovering.

Buttons, hope you're still feeling well. You are definitely a patient lady! Hope all your upcoming pampering appointments help you relax, and yay for the baby being in the perfect position too!

Freke, glad everyone is recovering from A's cold. I think it'd be nice for you to start up a mommy group, or join one that you like. That's a great way to get out and meet new people since you won't be working, at least for a while. Hope A's 5th tooth doesn't bother her for too much longer. Does she seem fine as soon as her teeth cut through, or is there still discomfort for a while after they pop up? Love all her pics! Seriously, you have one adorable little girl there!

NEL, great vacation photos - love K's little sunglasses! I'm dreading the baby-proofing stuff. So far, we only have our outlets covered up, but we'll need to get some gates or something to block off a space for A in the living room once he starts crawling. We still have some time though, since he doesn't even like to roll over on his own. I'm going to have to buy some pants for A. I've only been using onesies, and now that it's cooler, switched to those sleep 'n' play outfits with the footsies attached. You probably already know, but diapers.com has 25% off their Diono car seats until 10/1.

PPM, happy belated birthday! Glad your DH ended up planning a sushi (yum!) night, even if E didn't let you enjoy it. My body has changed too. I still fit into my pre-baby clothes, but they feel different - like tight in some places and loose in others, it's weird. My belly is still jiggly/loose, and I'm sure my butt/hips area has some extra padding.

Missy, definitely try some blackout curtains in B's nursery. I found those helped A sleep earlier in the evenings and sometimes helped his sleep longer in the mornings. Like Pancake said though, it could just be a phase he's going through. A has never napped well during the day, unless he's in Grandpa's arms (even now!), and he's gone through many phases when falling asleep for the night. He went from going down around 10pm to 8pm to 7pm, and now he's back to 8pm and sometimes 9pm after his 4-month growth spurt.

China, how are you and Miss Ivy doing?

Bobbin, sorry to hear that C's naps and night-time sleeping is still a bit wonky. A is the same way. He will STTN randomly, but nothing consistent. His congestion also seems to be bothering him the past 2 nights, so he's waking up early at 5am. At that point, I pick him up and we both lay on the recliner and he sleeps/nurses until about 7am. Good luck with the solo flight! Hope C takes it easy on you. Did you jump straight to veggies, or did you start with rice cereal first? We are also waiting until A turns 6 months to start solids, though he has started showing more interest when I eat now.

AMC, you might have to have your DH do the chest tummy time. A does the same thing when he's laying on me, and will latch on anywhere if my boobs aren't easily accessible too. If he tolerates being propped up with the Boppy, then keep doing that. The stronger he gets, the more he'll be okay with tummy time.

AFU, it seems that A has passed his cold onto me, or I coincidentally got sick on my own. My throat was a bit ticklish on Monday, and quickly turned into a sore through overnight. Now I'm congested and my co-workers could tell I was sick by the sound of my voice on this morning's conference call. I've been WFH so as not to spread it to anyone at work. I hope A and I don't keep passing it back and forth to each other. Poor guy was so stuffed up last night that I could hear him struggling to breathe when I picked him up. In other news, my friend had her baby girl last night at 2am. She was originally scheduled for a c-section tomorrow afternoon, but Summer decided to pick her own birthday. I was going to visit them in the hospital, but now I have to wait until I get over this cold. Boo.

 

[Missy0483]

Sorry all my posts have been so me-centric lately!!! He woke up at around 10pm crying. He wanted to eat. It took so long to get him to sleep so when he finally slept I knew it wouldn't last long because he didn't have a full bottle before going to sleep and no bath, so his night time routine was thrown off. Then he slept from 10:30 til 6:15, ate and off to the sitters. So not toooo bad.

Pancake - The sitter either has him in the living room where it's semi-dark or in the bedroom which is even darker. I didn't realize I needed to change the brightness of the rooms around this time. I feel like a dummy. It makes sense though because they're more aware of their surroundings now and want to see/look at everything even when tired. I knew earlier on that you were supposed to keep it light during the day so they would know it was day time, but didn't know when I needed to switch. Almost every room in our house is bright, so I'm guessing that's why he won't sleep anywhere for us. We had the bedtime routine mastered, but couldn't get a grasp on daytime/afternoon routine. I'm going to try a sheet over the windows tonight until we can get better curtains. He really needs to nap when I get home because by then he's been up for 3 hours or so. I'll report back on how his evening nap goes tonight. Thank you soooo much!

S&I - Blake naps for the sitter, so it has to be something that DH and I are doing wrong, I'm hoping that making it a little darker helps. Blake doesn't nap in the nursery yet...well that could be because of the brightness of the room. He sleeps in the nursery in his crib for bedtime. If he's going to nap, it's in the swing which is in our bedroom (which is also bright!), the swing is too big for his nursery. Maybe I can try black out curtains in the nursery and he'll nap in the crib too! Win win! We need to experiment this evening!

I am feeling really positive at the moment. I hope this works!!

 

[mayerling]

Missy, I hear you on the difficulty regarding naps. But I'm really glad to hear that B has mastered night sleep.

PPM, so good that your doctors are keeping an eye on you and what a generous gift little E got for you!

S&I, sorry to hear that you have a cold and that A does too. N just caught DH's cold so things are a bit hairy over here as well.

Bobbin, how is it going regarding helping C transition? I haven't started weaning yet. I don't think I want him off the breast until he's 4 months at least so I don't think I'll start weaning before his fourth month - which I just realised is only 18 days away .

Buttons, looking forward to welcoming you over here.

NEL, love the beach photo!

Freke, those pics look like they were taken by a pro!

Pancake, how great that S adjusted to the time difference so quickly!

Monnie, I know what you mean about missing the teeny baby. N has almost doubled his weight since he was born and is 8cm taller so I really miss when he was tiny.

AFU, I haven't been posting as frequently lately because I've been feeling down since we got back. I still feel like I can't do anything because N will never nap, and was disappointed that the swing didn't work. I had a tiny meltdown this afternoon because the Fisher Price cruiser we got him on the basis of the fact that he usually naps in the car didn't work either, but DH managed to settle him in his arms and then put him in there and he's been sleeping for the past hour; which gives me time to update PS now rather than during a MOTN BF session. I guess my issue is that I really want him to nap more than I want time for myself which is why I always choose to rock him and let him sleep in my arms than to leave him awake while I do something else. And I'm probably feeling bad because since we got back N has gone from waking up once per night to waking up multiple times. Anyway, enough whining. The only other thing is that DH has passed his cold on to N and my poor baby is all congested; sneezing, coughing, having diarrhoea, but no fever thankfully. Unfortunately in the UK they never prescribe anything for a cold so I don't know what to do to help him breathe better. And yet he's still as happy and sociable as ever. He was supposed to start his vaccinations tomorrow but I don't think the doctor will give the go ahead given that he has a cold.

Question: at which point am I supposed to eliminate the feed before N goes down for the night?

 

[PetitiePoire]

AMC- I felt that way about BFing in the early days- like I was constantly doing it. However, now she only feeds for a short time each feed. Also, I’ve honestly considered formula feeding for her last feed before bedtime. Ah, it seems so nice to have a baby that sleeps through the night. I’ve also spoken to some friends who added a small amount of rice cereal to their bottles starting at 2 months. It’s something I want to talk to my pedi about. Also, super cute picture! He’s precious.

Missy- It sounds like you’ve had a super stressful week. Why isn’t your nanny telling you all she knows? My goodness. Maybe it’s something she says to let you know he’s fine there as a joke? Also, when we give L a bottle it has to be the PERFECT temp or she won’t drink it. She will whine and fuss until it’s right, so I can honestly see how that could be the issue. Give it a shot?

S&I- I have no idea what percentile. Our doctor doesn’t say. Is there a chart I can look up? Thanks for the tummy time suggestions. She’s doing better with the mirror we bought! Haha

Monarch- Yay for STTN. I let L dictate her sleep schedule too. What time do you put her to bed at night? I’ve found that she sleeps longer if we go to bed later (ie 10pm vs 9). Last night was 10-4, at a bit and woke again at 630, then slept again until 930 (I woke her). Also, I’m going to say your LO is still tiny! L is wearing a 6 month outfit at 2 months (11w today!)! Btw, she is adorable! I love that little smile!

Pancake- Why do the physiotherapist object to them? I am putting that purchase on hold, because L is still having hip issues, I think. More below on that, but I think I’ll wait. Thanks for the tummy time advice. That’s fantastic that she is able to switch times so easily!

Freke- I don’t want the walker to teach her to walk. I just want something that sits/stands her up to play since she loves being in that position. I appreciate your input on tummy time. It seems babies aren’t a fan of it. A has SUCH gorgeous eyes. I love seeing the photos. I’d say start a meetup group or something. We have them here, I’m just a bit shy about going.

NEL- Good luck baby proofing. Any tips on what you recommend buying? We aren’t quite there yet, but I like to be prepared.

PPM- Her control has been getting better each day, but I’d say within the last 4 weeks she has begun refusing to let us hold her like a baby. She much prefers to sit up and therefore has to hold her neck up. Re: body- I actually feel pretty great. I’m slightly lower than I was pre-pregnancy, but my body is all out of whack. I have a pooch below my belly button, the dreaded lines, stretch marks, and not so toned abs. haha. It sounds terrible- and it is- but I’ve managed really well. My jeans, which I still keep, only go up to my thighs. My thighs and lower stomach are the biggest areas, so I’m hoping it won’t be that way forever. Also, I try to remember I’m only 2 months post partum- I have time. Eloise was so generous for your birthday!! Haha. That is too cute.

Mayerling- Try not to give up on the swing! I can’t remember if L loved it from the beginning or not, but I know we kept trying. I’d pick her up, feed her, put her back, repeat. Now it’s the only way she sleeps.




AFU- L is 11 weeks today! Time is flying by! I'll update on us more later.

 

[Missy0483]

PP - According to her, she doesn't have any "magic" suggestions other than warming his bottle. He has a pretty set schedule at her house with his sleeping. She said she plays with in between his two naps and she struggles to keep him from falling asleep when it's close to his next nap Wow, I wish we had that problem! Haha. He is plotting against his parents already. I've asked him why he doesn't nap for us and he just looks at me with a big grin We're going to try warming his bottle a little before we try the evening nap and see if that helps too.

 

[ChinaCat]

Missy- Don't feel like a dummy, it's all trial and error at this point. I think the key is to figure out how he goes down best and then be consistent with whatever that is. Oliver was a swing freak and we could always get him to sleep by putting him in the swing or doing the 5 S's (swaddle, on his side, sway, shush, suck on the pacifier). Ivy- not so much. Swing doesn't work as well. But I've figured out her other cues, so it's just a matter of finding them. I think one of the hard things about being back at work is that you lose the sense of the baby's rhythms. When I am with her all day/weekend, I can more easily figure out what's going on. But when I come home after being gone all day, it's a lot harder to know what's going on. Also, he could just have a fussy period at that time of day. When Ivy was new, she just was upset and cried from about 6 pm till 8 or 9. Nothing helped, I never saw any tired cues, etc. I ended up just sticking her in my carrier, grabbing a beer, and walking up and down the street. For some reason, the warm air made her stop crying. I did figure out after a few weeks that she was just over tired at that time. So I started putting her down earlier than I thought she was tired, and that worked. But good news is, if it is just his witching time, it will pass eventually. Good luck- you can and will figure this out. He won't do this forever, I promise!!!!

Oh- does your sitter write down what she does? If not, I would have her write down what time he eats, goes down, wakes up, etc. It helps to see it written down, maybe you can see a pattern.

Mayerling- I'm trying to figure out when to drop a feeding as well. Based on what I've read, babies on Ivy's "schedule" are usually ready to drop the late evening (before bed) feeding b/w 12 and 15 weeks. We're there and I suspect she's close, but I like that nursing session so I'm reluctant to mess with it. I cannot remember with O at all when we dropped the feeding. I think with O I cluster fed more in the early evenings and pushed it back until he naturally dropped it. I think. Not sure.

Lliang- I have a book problem so let me know what you like. O's favorite as a baby was "Is Your Mama a Llama?" I love that one. Also can't go wrong with any of the Sandra Boynton books, the Eric Carle series, and Good Dog, Carl.

PPM- Happy belated birthday!

 

[FrekeChild]

Bobbin - for the crawling thing, it is a signal that the baby is comfortable keeping one side's muscles shorter than the other, which, if the weird crawling continues, will affect walking negatively. So basically torticollis keeps one side of the neck (sternoclernomastoid?) muscles shorter than the other, and affects the neck, but the baby ends up shortening their core muscles too because it's more comfortable for them. A has been a delayed crawler because of her "shorter" side, and for a long time refused to roll over to one side.

S&I - Teething - after they pop through, she's all better...until the next one comes in. The last couple of days before it actually breaks the surface are awful though - crying, disrupted sleep, etc. So you can tell when they are about to come through. At least, with her I can! Boo for getting sick!

Missy - when B goes down for his naps, make the room as dark as possible and I'd use a sound machine. A is REALLY sensitive to lighting differences when she is trying to sleep, so if there is the slightest change - brightening - in her room while she is trying to sleep, it takes her back about 5 steps in the getting to sleep process.
One hint that I really started using lately is watching for the first hints of sleepiness - yawning, rubbing their eyes, other "I'm tired" behavior. For A, it's concentrating on one thing and throwing herself into it (lately it's been ripping up tissues) and then having a meltdown if I interrupt her by doing anything. Actually, if she reaches that point, she's overtired and is a beast to get to nap.
I also have a pretty strict nap routine - turn on her fan, turn on the noise machine to "waves crashing", diaper change, bottle, nap. If she isn't already asleep from the bottle, she gets laid down in her bed and I hand her the bunny and her naptime teddy bear. She knows what all of that means, and usually passes out peacefully.

Mayerling - I suggest using a Nose Frida. They suck to use them on them, especially when they are tiny, but it helps their breathing soooooooo much! http://www.fridababy.com/shop/nosefrida/

Look at me go! Posting twice in two days. Weird.

More pics, because that's what I do all day. Wish I could post video - she's kind of hilarious sometimes!

 

[pancake]

Freke - adorbs! Love that third photo in particular. What a little character! It's nice to see you posting more often I think you should definitely force yourself to bite the bullet and start up a group, or join an existing one. You want all of the social network you can find!

Missy - no worries at all, and don't feel silly, we're not meant to automatically know how this all works! I hope that Blake's day sleeps improve for you - I suspect as as he approaches 5 months things will improve naturally anyway, but the things you are trying out will probably make a bit of difference too. I agree with china's suggestion of getting the babysitter to write down what Blake does at her place - it would help with pattern recognition and even though things won't be exactly the same, you can make it more similar.

PP - I believe that physiotherapists' objections to walkers are a) safety - babies can be hard to supervise when they can move so quickly; there are hundreds of hospital attendances/admissions and have even been deaths due to walker injuries and accidents. They don't assist with motor development (they probably have a very small and insignificant delaying effect, actually) - so here in Australia they're not recommended and I believe the plan is to remove them from the market altogether.

Mayerling, I hope you have a good social/support network in the UK now that you're back. It's a huge transition for all of you - you have had the round-the-clock support of your family since N was born, and leaving that is a big deal. Don't feel even more down on yourself for taking time to adjust - it's a normal reaction. Meanwhile, N will be feeling the adjustment too, plus I suspect that he can sense that you're not feeling great. That, plus the fact that he's at a naturally unsettled age, makes for a tricky time. Things will improve! Have faith and do whatever you need to do to push through.

The fact that nothing gets prescribed for a cold is a good thing, not a bad thing! Seriously. Antibiotics are SO overprescribed to children, and with a cold they do nothing whatsoever (apart from contribute to antibiotic resistance and cause side effects). Do what you can to keep his nose clear (if you don't have an aspirator, then you can just use salt water drops in his nose to loosen his secretions) and give him paracetamol if he's irritable or uncomfortable (although it sounds like it's pretty happy!).

Re the late evening feed - there is no time when you're "supposed" to cease it, it depends on the baby and the parents, really. Sylvie just stopped waking up for it and we dropped it then. Her path to STTN was basically that her late night feed moved later and later until it sort of merged with the overnight feed, and then eventually the overnight feed got later and later until it became the early morning feed.

S&I, glad Alex is on the mend! We're pretty much back to normal too - Dot wasn't even snuffly today! I hope you feel better soon. Most bugs don't get passed back and forth repeatedly, so fingers crossed it won't happen to you guys! How exciting re your friend's baby. I love the name Summer - I wanted it on the shortlist for Dot, but D vetoed it. Oh well.

amc80 - S was similar when she was anywhere near my boobs. It didn't happen so much on my chest for TT (probably just because I never did it!) but I couldn't put her in a carrier for ages because she would just headbutt me and nuzzle for a feed!

Bobbin - are you coming down to Melbs? The weather is meant to improve over the next week - hope so! The flight will be fine, C is such a happy baby, and it's only a short flight. I can understand why you feel a bit blah about DH not coming with you initially - S and I have still not been away from D even for a night and I'm dreading the eventuality. BLW is hilarious - enjoy the ride! We are not strict BLWers because S started solids relatively early, but now she mostly feeds herself and it's so funny and cute (and messy). Toast fingers are a great starting food too - and avocado and strawberries!

PPM - E is indeed a very generous gift-giver! I hope S is similarly generous... my Macbook is getting very tired now (I've had it since early 200 and I'm hoping that a Macbook Air will magically materialise from somewhere in the next few months WELL DONE on the "adult time"!!! Seriously, I know it sounds ridiculous to say that, but D and I took 6 months to get there. I was terrified because my post-partum Pap was SO uncomfortable and it really put me off for ages to the point that I would get anxious at anything that might even possibly maybe at some stage lead to sex!

AFU - I know I say this every week, but could I please freeze time and keep Dot JUST LIKE THIS forever? She is just a DELIGHT! Having a little bit of a daytime sleep regression (today she had 1 40 minute nap in the morning, and 30 minutes in the afternoon) but she's so happy and sparky despite that that it's not really an issue. BAH BAH BAH BAH BAH, DAH DAH DAH DAH DAH, YA YA YA YA YA, WA WA WA WA WA and MAH MAH MAH MAH MAH all day long, and giggles and squeaks at the slightest thing.

At the moment her favourite food is strawberries - she ate 6 through the course of today! Lucky they are in season here, and really delicious at the moment - I bought 4 punnets today. I have largely stopped feeding her "spoon food" apart from dinner and a bit of yoghurt at breakfast. I think she is missing her dad now that he's back at work after our holiday, though - the other night she abruptly woke screaming (very very very unusual) at 9pm, I went in to her and she was still whimpering a bit, until he came in - she BEAMED, reached out, touched his face, pulled his nose and hair, had a lovely cuddle, and then he put her back down and she grinned at him, stuck her thumb in her mouth and went back to sleep without a fuss. I melted!!!

 

[mayerling]

Petite, happy 11-week bday to L!

China and Pancake, I'm not really trying to drop a feed. My question is more about whether I should stop feeding him just before putting him down and instead feed him before his bath. I guess I'm afraid he might associate being fed with going to sleep for the night.

Freke, what's A sitting in? Is that her high chair?

AFU, we just had N registered with a GP in the UK where they went through all the usual measurements and checks. He is in the 50th percentile for weight and height and 95th percentile for head circumference! You can see why I ended up with a bunch of internal stitches
His cold seems a bit better as he's sneezing and coughing much less and hasn't had diarrhea since yesterday.
I'm feeling better too. The cruiser we got him seems to be working as he's managed to have some decent naps in it and I've had time to get on with things. Of course now I'm worried about how he's missing feeds even though he should stay hydrated because of his cold, but I'm trying to remind myself that a baby-led schedule is better for him and he'll wake up when he's hungry. Also, we all managed to sleep a bit better last night too as he did two 3-hour stretches; nowhere near the 6 straight hours he would do before we came back, but better than what he'd done the previous nights.

 

[pancake]

Mayerling, you can do that if you like but I don't really see any reason to. It's not like the bedtime feed is one that you are going to drop any time in the next year - the time may move as he gets older but he's always going to have a milk feed at bedtime. So I don't think it matters whether it's before or after the bath, and I don't think it matters if it's a sleep cue for him at the moment. S has never ever been fed to sleep (apart from at the very beginning, when it was still feed-sleep-feed-sleep) but her bedtime routine in the evening has always been bath-feed-bed. I think as long as you are consistent, and he learns that whatever routine you establish is the "bedtime routine", you'll be ok

 

[mayerling]

Wow, things have slowed down on this thread! Where are all the mamas?

Pancake, thanks for the advice on the breast-before-sleep issue.

AFU, N's sleep regression is still here which puts a damper on all my attempts to create a routine for him. Thankfully, since we got the cruiser his naps are much better. Also, for the last few days he'd been fighting me whenever I would try to put him down for a nap - literally screaming at me whenever I would try to cuddle him and rock him to sleep. Then the other day I didn't get a chance to put him down till he'd been awake for 2 hours, instead of at the 1.5 hour mark which is what I'd been doing up to that point, and all of a sudden he no longer fought me, took the pacifier straight, didn't require walking or bouncing - a cuddle was enough, and was out in 5 mins. I guess he's growing and can go awake for longer or he's just not tired enough at the 1.5 hour mark.
Also, he's still got his cold. I got him some nose drops but they're not doing much and I'm worried that he still hasn't had his vaccinations. I'm going to call the GP tomorrow and see if he can have them done in spite of the cold.

 

[amc80]

Wow, things have slowed down on this thread! Where are all the mamas?

Trying to stay awake at work. See my other thread on baby sleep help

::yawn::

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Work is crazy and I'm too exhausted to do individual replies today. I'm thinking about all of you mamas and hope everybody is doing well. I'll reply to everybody tomorrow.

K has had a really tough couple of nights. Like, up every hour...sometimes twice an hour. I've always said that sleep is the difference between sanity and insanity. I'm bordering on insanity right now. She's still waking up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 5am, too, so that's super awesome. I've figured out that if I give her a bottle, she'll babble to herself back to sleep until 6:30 or so. But I rarely go back to sleep myself.

Sorry for the vent. I'm tired. In good news, her favorite babble is "ma ma ma ma ma". It would be more adorable if she weren't saying it every night at midnight. And 1am. And 2am. and 3am....

amc, I'm right there with you in trying to keep my eyes open.

 

[pancake]

OMG NEL that is crazy! You poor thing, juggling work and hourly wake-ups! Just keep repeating mantra: "It's a phase, it's a phase, it's a phase..." (which it is!). I'm glad that Katie's still a happy little buglet though, I hate the regressions that make Sylvie go all withdrawn as well as not sleeping as well. Can you get someone to come over and watch her during the day on a day that you don't work so that you can take a solid nap? Massive solidarity, mama ("ma ma ma ma ma..." - so cute!)!!

AMC, I'll reply on your other thread, but the short version is that I think that 6-8 weeks is not a good time to try and start anything - I'd wait a few more if you can, just so that you get over the natural developmental fussiness that peaks at this age first.

Mayer, in my foggy memory I do recall S having her first major sleep regression around 10-11 weeks. I could trawl back through my posts to find it, but I doubt that it would help you much, apart from reinforcing the fact that it will end!!! Sounds like the cruiser (what is a cruiser?) is working very well for you.

If it works for you (which it sounds like it is), then ignore this (so please do), but just a thought: 2 hours is a very long waketime for an 11 week old baby. But if it ain't broke, don't fix it - all bubs are different!

Don't stress too much about the immunisations. They won't protect him from a cold anyway, and as long as you get onto it as soon as you can, it's not a stress, he'll catch up. I am assuming you mean the 2 month shots?

AFU - S has joined the "funny sleep club" but I'm not sure if that's because she's got a low-grade tummy bug, or whether it's just another developmental thing. Night-time sleep is still fine but she's definitely stirring and resettling more overnight in the last 4 or 5 days, and her day sleeps are really erratic. That said, she's had really loose poos the last few days too, so I wonder if there's a bit of a low-grade infection going on and that's what's unsettling her during the day.

Other than that - she's babbling up a storm and eating her finger foods like there's no tomorrow. At the age of almost 7 1/2 months, has STILL never rolled, and at the moment is protesting every time I put her on her tummy because she just wants to sit up. Can't blame her really... between being prone and sitting up, there's really no competition in terms of how much she can do, reach and see!

 

[FrekeChild]

Work is crazy and I'm too exhausted to do individual replies today. I'm thinking about all of you mamas and hope everybody is doing well. I'll reply to everybody tomorrow.

K has had a really tough couple of nights. Like, up every hour...sometimes twice an hour. I've always said that sleep is the difference between sanity and insanity. I'm bordering on insanity right now. She's still waking up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 5am, too, so that's super awesome. I've figured out that if I give her a bottle, she'll babble to herself back to sleep until 6:30 or so. But I rarely go back to sleep myself.

Sorry for the vent. I'm tired. In good news, her favorite babble is "ma ma ma ma ma". It would be more adorable if she weren't saying it every night at midnight. And 1am. And 2am. and 3am....

amc, I'm right there with you in trying to keep my eyes open.

Teething?

Not much here. A turned 10 months yesterday. Blah. I want her to stay little and cute forever!!!!!! Not looking forward to those teenage years...

 

[S&I]

Missy, how did your nap experiments go? Did the darker room work better, or the warmer bottle? Did you ever get the babysitter to tell you what else she uses at her place? That would really irk me if she were withholding her secrets.

Mayerling, sorry to hear N is still not over his cold. Is his nose stuffy or runny? Try not to worry so much about the timing of N's naps. Look for his sleepy cues and then try to rock him to sleep. A tends to get sleepy about 1.5 hours after his bottle, but that wasn't anything I tried to enforce. It just kind of started happening on his own time, and very recently too. Good to hear that the cruiser seems to be helping with naps.

Petite, search for growth chart on babycenter's website. You can enter L's data, and it'll give you an estimate for percentiles in each category, just to give you an idea. Glad L is doing better with tummy time and her new mirror!

China, if you're still enjoying the late evening feed, then I say keep doing it as long as Ivy wants it. With A, he just stopped waking up for the 10-11pm feeding after a while, so he dropped it naturally.

Freke, love those pics - A has such a great personality! Thanks for the explanation about teething. I'm sure it'll help me recognize it and be more prepared for the craziness. I'm just hoping my A doesn't start teething until he's been STTN more consistently first. One can only hope, right?

Pancake, that is just about the sweetest thing I've heard that S wants cuddle with her dad before happily going to bed! Glad she's gotten over her cold too, but sorry about the possible tummy troubles. That's great that S is so good with her hands and can feed herself. Hope her funny naps get better soon. She does seem to get over her disruptions pretty quickly though.

AMC. sorry B is still having problems sleeping. He's still pretty young though. It took A a good while before he would just go back to sleep after a feeding. I'm talking like close to 3+ months. By then, he was only waking up 1-2 times per night for a feed and would basically fall asleep by the time I got a burp out of him. But I've always felt that A has been behind the curve with his sleeping habits, so hopefully it won't take B that long to get there. Also, when I had to change A's diapers, I would do it first before feeding him, so he would be awake, but then would be calmed down once he started feeding.

NEL, so sorry work is crazy and you had such a restless night last night on top of it! Hope K lets you get some rest tonight!

AFU, A rolled over yesterday morning from tummy to back! He did it a good 5-6 times so we were able to bust out the video camera to capture it too. It was funny because I was laying with him on the floor and when he rolled over, I let out a happy yelp. DH came running from the bathroom and said "what'd I miss?". So I flipped A back onto his tummy, and he showed daddy too. Then DH went to grab the camera, and he recorded him doing it again, and then I busted out my phone to record it too, ha!

 

[PilsnPinkysMom]

Hugs, NEL. Hope K snaps out of this sleep regression soon so that you can get some rest. Hang in there!

Edited to add a question for you: I know that you BF K, pumped, and supplemented with formula. When did you start supplementing? At what point did you transition to just formula? Did you choose to make the switch or did your supply choose for you? And were you nursing and bottle feeding expressed milk, or just bottle feeding? (sorry for the million questions... You can respond when more rested!)

 

[Missy0483]

He hasn't been as bad in the evenings. I know he's really tired so we've set his bedtime to around 8pm rather than 9:30pm, so bath starts around 7ish or so. I don't get as much time with him but at least the whole evening isn't full of crying. Last night I walked with him in the baby carrier, he was great. We walked down to watch DH play volleyball at the YMCA and he fell asleep in the carrier while watching. Perfect.

Ovet the weekend he took a 90 minute nap on Saturday (unfortunately not long after he woke up we went to SIL's house and he was out of wack most of the time there, fussy and all) and a 3 hour nap on Sunday (!!!!!!!) I actually got stuff done around the house.

If you look up high needs baby online, there's an article with 12 features of a high needs baby. Blake fits every category Some more so than others, you know like demanding and intense. Yup, that's my Blake! This could explain why sometimes nothing seems to work, I guess.

 

[lliang_chi]

Good morning mamas!

Whew, it's been a crazy week! I'll respond now before I get too caught up in things.

NEL, Hugs, friend, about Katie's sleep? I agree with Freke, maybe teething is keeping her up? Soooo cute about the "ma ma ma ma ma" sounds. I agree K needs to work on the timing for that. Ethan's still not doing the "ma ma ma's" yet. He loves saying "da da da" though. It keeps DH happy.

PPM, I'm not NEL but I remember she was supplementing K with formula at the very beginning (a lot of us did). Then she managed to go EP for Katie for I think close to 12 weeks. After that she needed to add 1 bottle of formula, then gradually more because her supply went down. Of course I'll let NEL give you the specifics. I remember her story because we were both struggling with breast feeding and pumping together. How are you doing with your pumping/BFing?

S&I, Awwww! So cute that A's showing off to you and Daddy. He must've been so proud of himself because he kept doing it over and over again. What a strong boy. Is he liking tummy time more now?

Freke, Ah 10 months already!!!! I can't believe your little elf is getting so big! I hope you don't mind me calling her that, just just looks like a happy smiley elf in all her pictures. Wow, I marvel at your nap routine and how you can keep it so consistent. I feel like such a half-ass mom I never don't really have a strict routine for anything for Ethan....

Pancake, ha ha, so funny that Sylvie still chooses not to roll over yet. I'm not too worried about it, I'm sure she's just expressing her preferences. Ethan's getting close to the point that he can do crunches. I'm dreading the point where he can get up to a sit on his own. I hope S's sleep goes back to normal soon. Poor bubby with her tummy in a twist....

AMC, I used to drink coffee in high school because it was "grown up-ish." But stopped in college since I prefer tea. But believe you me, I've been drinking a cup here and there at work now.

Mayer, I'm glad N's naps during the day have been great. Seems like the cruiser is workign out for him. I hope N's cold clears soon. Is he stuffed up? If so I recommend some saline drops then a round of snot sucking with a Nosefrida. Ethan hates it but it sure does take out the snots.

China, hm,.... I'll have to check out the "Is your Mama a Llama." We kinda have a running joke about alpacas, so I think DH will get a kick out of it. I have a few Sandra Boynton books, and of course The Very Hungry Catepillar.

Missy, how have the experiments with bottle and dark rooms been for B's sleep?

Bobbin, wow, I can't believe C has such a healthy appetite. Some babies just like solid foods better than purees. I just made some noodles for Ethan to try. I actually meant to use them for dinner (making a casserole) and ended up over boiling them. So they're just the right consistency for Ethan I took a little bit aside for him. But then DH ate half his noodles when he got home from his late hockey game, LOL! In J's defense he didn't konw the noodles were for Ethan.

AFU: We had a GREAT weekend at a lake house in WI! Ethan was such a charming little Pumpkin and everyone loved watching and playing with him. There were 8 adults (including us), Ethan and a 1+ yr old. Ethan LOVES watching the 1YO running around and stuff. You can just see him thikning "I wanna do that!" And the 1YO was pretty well behaved and it was fun all around. Just the weather sucked, rained Friday and then chilly Sat & Sun. Oh well, it was a great weekend anyway.

Ethan's sleep schedule has still been pretty scattered at night. Getting up every 2-3 hrs. Mostly for company and/or bottle. At 2:30AM he got some pats and went back to sleep. I want to drop at least 1 of his MOTN wake ups, then tackle dropping the other one. We'll see how it goes....

 

[monarch64]

Missy, are you familiar with the story "Go the F to Sleep"? If not you need to google it, you will get some laughs and feel like you are not alone! (Comment also intended for any other mamas with babies who don't feel like sleeping!) I find it inappropriately hilarious. There are a bunch of readings by celebrities on you tube.

I'm actually off work today (I feel like I'm there all the time now since I've worked the past few weekends), so taking advantage of some "me" time while baby sleeps. I decided to let the housework go for a few hours and sit down and force myself to learn how to use the Nikon because I'm not satisfied with the way my iphone instagram pics are turning out in print! I'm procrastinating at the moment, but have the camera bag next to me and at least have gotten as far as googling the model. R

Routines: don't have 'em. LC, was it you who said she feels like a half ass mom? Don't! I work such erratic hours that it is pretty much impossible for me to establish a schedule! The only thing that has been consistent is that she sleeps when we sleep at night, and she gets up in the morning with my husband who gives her a breakfast bottle and then brings her back to me where she and I sleep for a couple more hours. I feel like if the child is growing, healthy, thriving then stringent routines that you have a hard time keeping are not necessary. I am laid back in pretty much every aspect of my life, though. I know not everyone is like this! *cough*peoplevary*cough*

Now for some pics. I can't remember if I posted the tutu ones yet, apologies if they are repeats.

 

[FrekeChild]

Hugs, NEL. Hope K snaps out of this sleep regression soon so that you can get some rest. Hang in there!

Edited to add a question for you: I know that you BF K, pumped, and supplemented with formula. When did you start supplementing? At what point did you transition to just formula? Did you choose to make the switch or did your supply choose for you? And were you nursing and bottle feeding expressed milk, or just bottle feeding? (sorry for the million questions... You can respond when more rested!)

Not NEL, but since I had BF issues, I figured I'd answer too.

I never supplied even close to enough to EBF. The most BM I produced in one day was about 4oz - and thats when I was pumping exclusively so I was measuring like a crazy person.

Formula exclusively came at 2.5 months when I gave up pumping. I was only pumping .5 oz PER DAY and it wasn't worth the time or the effort at all anymore. I guess you could say that my supply chose for me.

I only did bottle feeding. She had a great latch, but got frustrated very very quickly, and I totally don't blame her! But she would latch and then shake her head (much like a dog does with a toy when playing) and that HURT. So I went to the bottle pretty quickly after that. About 2 weeks in?

No matter what, R, you've done amazingly. I would always read about how much BM other people were producing ("Oh, I only got 4oz pumping after lunch, woe is me! How do I up my supply?") and I'd get so jealous! I wanted to be able to provide that much for her too! But sometimes our bodies just have different ideas. Her getting BM at all is great!

 

[lliang_chi]

PPM, I just wanted to add that I'll be supplementing Ethan with formula. Likely starting this week. I've pretty much exhausted my freezer stash and my supply has gone way down. I plan on still trying to pump and give him some BM, but he's going to have to start with at least 1 bottle of formula, maybe two by the weekend. My hope is to start with formula mid-day for a few days, then add it as the last bottle of the night so he'll *hopefully* sleep better....

 

[PilsnPinkysMom]

FC & LC, thanks for responding to my question about supplementing!! Things are going well for us, but I feel like they might change at any time, especially when I return to work on Monday and can't pump as frequently.

I'm currently triple feeding, and sticking to 8 pump sessions a day. I gave it up for a while and saw my supply dip. It feels less stressful than before, for whatever reason. Between nursing and pumping, I'm making between 20 and 22 ounces of milk a day. I just started Domperidone, so time will tell if that'll boost my supply. BUT- I'm not feeling bad when I mix up a bottle of formula here and there. She usually gets 1-4 oz of formula a day, in the early morning or before bed. We've also used some donor milk in lieu of formula, but it's harder to come by.

 

[PetitiePoire]

Ppm- Which pump do you have? I only have a manual and can barely get 2-3 ounces when I feel full. im really considering trying an electric. I really don't think the one I have hits right though, which is perhaps why I don't get much? Reading your 20+ ounces per day has me worrying! I'm still EBF though, so I guess it's ok. I think I need to just ignore your posts.


Sorry I haven't been around to post more frequently. L's sleep has been up am down these past few weeks and has left me exhausted. She naps just fine during the day and for about 5-6 hours in the first sleep at night (9/10-3:30), but has been waking up a second time between 4:30 and 6:30. Other than all of that she is a really happy and laid back baby, which is great.

 

[PetitiePoire]

Ppm- Which pump do you have? I only have a manual and can barely get 2-3 ounces when I feel full. im really considering trying an electric. I really don't think the one I have hits right though, which is perhaps why I don't get much? Reading your 20+ ounces per day has me worrying! I'm still EBF though, so I guess it's ok. I think I need to just ignore your posts.


Sorry I haven't been around to post more frequently. L's sleep has been up am down these past few weeks and has left me exhausted. She naps just fine during the day and for about 5-6 hours in the first sleep at night (9/10-3:30), but has been waking up a second time between 4:30 and 6:30. Other than all of that she is a really happy and laid back baby, which is great.

 

[mayerling]

Pancake, this is the cruiser: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00717L78Y/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i00

Petite, I have a manual pump and when I try to express I only get 2 ounces at a time.

PPM, after all you've been through I can see why you're considering formula. Actually, with my vasospasms getting worse and my suspicion that thrush is coming up, I'm actually considering weaning. I just wish I didn't enjoy BF so much...

Monnie, I just listened to Samuel L. Jackson's rendition of Go The F To Sleep and loved it!

Missy, I definitely feel you on the bad naps.

LC, how great that you enjoyed your weekend away! N is definitely stuffed up. I'm doing saline drops - I don't think a nosefrida is available here. I also bought some menthol capsules that you pour onto a tissue nearby so he can inhale them - they say not to be used under 3 months but I'm desperate!

S&I, for A rolling over!

AFU, N is still stuffed up and has been terrible at napping for the last 3 days - I think the two might be related. He's also waking up at least twice per night - though his night goes from 8pm to 9am; if I were doing an 8pm-6am thing, it would be once per night; still not as good as it was before we came back to the UK. Also, we're doing his first round of shots on Friday despite his cold - they said as long as he doesn't have a fever they don't mind vaccinating. The big news is that last night he managed to pull himself up! He was resting at a 135 degree angle on DH's legs and belly and he used his head to propel himself forward to the point where he sat at a 90 degree angle! He only stayed there for a second before tipping over (DH caught him), but still amazing he was able to do that.
In other news, DH is also in bed with a cold...

 

[PilsnPinkysMom]

Ppm- Which pump do you have? I only have a manual and can barely get 2-3 ounces when I feel full. im really considering trying an electric. I really don't think the one I have hits right though, which is perhaps why I don't get much? Reading your 20+ ounces per day has me worrying! I'm still EBF though, so I guess it's ok. I think I need to just ignore your posts.


Sorry I haven't been around to post more frequently. L's sleep has been up am down these past few weeks and has left me exhausted. She naps just fine during the day and for about 5-6 hours in the first sleep at night (9/10-3:30), but has been waking up a second time between 4:30 and 6:30. Other than all of that she is a really happy and laid back baby, which is great.

PP- I'm currently using a hospital grade double electric Medela (the Symphony). But DON'T FRET! I also get 2-3 ounces when I feel full... but (2oz X 8 pumps) + Nursing output (~6 ounces after 5 nursing sessions) = 22 ounces. It's really not that impressive, but I'll take what I can get!