Parenting after LT TTC #3

:hello: girls,
well i was wondering if i could join your group now as have little charlie after a very long journey like all of us.im finding it a bit hard to leave pgaltttc its been such a wonderful support for me for almost 3 yrs,ive met so wonderful friends in there and its been a real comfort to me but i guess im not pg anymore so its time to leave :rolleyes:
so if its ok ill pop in here from time to time but it will take me a bit to catch up so bare with me lol.thank you girls love smithy
have a great day .

Hello! Some of you might know me from the PGLTTC thread. My little boy is here now so time to move!

Literally have only two minutes before my LO will want to be back on the boob so not much I can say. Having a hell of a time bf ing at the moment as it turns out my latching that all the midwives said was great, is actually wrong and he is only taking in nipple and I am starting to hurt. I am finding it impossible to get him to open his mouth wide enough to take in enough breast tissue. When he does actually get enough breast tissue in he cannot cope with the extra flow and wriggles back to the old bad position that he got used to over the last two weeks or so or thrashes about and gets too much wind and lurches off for winding which means the struggle to attach again. I don't have cracks yet but I am sore. Arghhhhhhh!!!!:wall: I don't know what to do!!!

Yay for Smithy & Poppy joining us. You will see lots of familiar faces in here plus some mum's who have been around much longer but are a huge support to us newbies.

It is so hard leaving the pg thread, but I've felt so much better about being here because everyone will eventually move across and it still feels like a family but instead of sharing pg issues we now just talk about our babies and all the changes happening with them.

hello lovely mummies :)

smithy - you should post a link to your video from the preg thread! it's very lovely. Charlie is super cute. You'll see the whole gang is here anyway! lol.

kellyD - hi love! i bet your DH had a great time playing rollies! lol. watch out you've got an active bub there! Ash is alreday tryiing to roll onto his tum, it's so cute and frustrating to watch him try!

Hi Kahlan! i don't think i posted a gday to you when i joined in here!

janie - ooh that holiday sounds wonderful. have a great time! i'm so jealous :)

interesting chat about flat head. Ash is the same neptune, he prefers one side. i read in one of my baby books that it's very common for them to opt for a side to turn their head and i guess it's pretty good as if they are sick it just dribbles down the cheek. i've tried turning ash's head but he also reverts. so when we co-sleep (usually in the arvo) i lay on his opposite side so he turns his head and sleeps towards me. Love to hear what the MCHN says.

oh poppy that sounds awful. Ash does the same thing but that's because of his wind. he pulls back and fusses and fights it and ends up with the end of the nipple in his mouth. that's when i take him off and give him the dummy cos i think he wants to suck without the milk to help manage his wind pain.

He usually gets about 5 or 10 mins of feeding and then gets pains and starts playing up. I give him two offers on each side if he's fighting it and then close the milk bar otherwise the problem just gets worse and he gets more upset.

I was really worried he wasn't getting enough but he's been stacking on the weight and gets in a couple of long feeds from both sides each day so figure it's working for us. I do monitor the number of wet nappies each day to be sure. Sometimes i just give him a 10min break with the dummy and some burping and he happily goes back on. We are also using Infant's Friend colic stuff and that has helped. And occassionally i think his fighting it cos he wants the other side and i'm just not that expreienced at reading his needs yet. Once i offer him that he then drains that boob. Mind you Ash can suck my boob empty in 10 mins flat. He's been a very economical feeder since birth lol

one thing you could try... put him on latching fully and recline back to 45 degrees (i use our lounge recliner) this can help the flow not be as forceful and he might be able to cope better. as the boob empties sit forward to ensure it's drained. That helped us with ash gulping and takin in too much air.

Went back to the doc on Wednesday and turns out i DO have a nasty infection from the birth and am now on lots of of blasted antibiotics... as a result Ash's great feeding run we'd had over the last week has reversed and he's crying a lot, has lots of pain and is fighting it all the way! brh. the pain is also disturbing his sleep, he either wakes up with an almighty scream or spends half his sleep thrashing and grunting but no actually waking. All i can say is thank god for the dummy - it really helps him manage the pain. poor darling boy.

anyhoo He is 6 weeks now and we have our shots on monday! eek!

okay took me about an hour to write this! lol. And for the girls who weren't on the preg thread with me and murphy - we have a running competition on who can blather on the longest in posts. I believe the score for this thread is Grub 1 Murph 0 lol. :)

grub hunny i hope your infections clears up very soon and i totally agrre with the dummy thing ,thank god for them lol.
ok here is the link grub was talking about hope you all like it ;)
again thank you all for having me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECxZGS8fd0Y
i will post again in a couple of days ,atm just trying to get into some sort of routine with our little miracle shes feeding every 3 hrs ,with the bottle so keeping me on my toes apart from this IM SO IN LOVE ...
have a nice sunday girls xoxo

Ahhh. Them's fighting words Grub!! Alright the challenge is on...but you have to do it like me ALWAYS the one handed typing with babe on boob. It has become a tad more time consuming and lucky for you all, I write most of my comments in my head, not on the thread:wall: Yesterday, me and jazz made scones together, beat that (hmm, no.. not while feeding, just in carry mode, until I put her bouncinette on the bench..cute). BBL with photo proof:P

Smithy, i put five new photos for you next door mate...we never really leave.xox

P.S, there seems to be an awful lot of bragging about dummies ;)and i just might spit mine soon cos jazz is too smart and only mum will do. No bottle and no dummy...arrrgggh. are they just naturally going on the dummy or is there a trick. she has wind and we've had some shocking days lately, mixed in with some great ones. dh went to town for wind drops (among other things) and forgot them so been battling and resorted to giving boiled water in a syringe. despite my hundred dollar outlay on breast pump and bottles and dummies and bottles of varying sizes, mum's boob is the one stop shop for anything any time. on the plus side, i have never had any dramas with soreness or latching, i'm just a bit haggard from demand feeding, to comfort suckling, to wind control. it's all about me. dummy tips please??????

Hey Murph

Took a look at your photo's, Jazz is getting so big. She has some similarities to Tara, ie: big blue eyes and also the "ranga" tinge in her hair. I'm thinking Tara may end up a Strawberry blonde though and I think Jazz may be the same. Also I love the colour of her hearing aids, when will you know if they will have any effect??

As for the dummy, I started Tara with the smallest newborn size dummy from Avent and have only now moved up to the next size (which took her a couple of days to get used to due to the change in size) although she will only take hers when she is tired and uses it as a comfort to go to sleep. What type of dummies have you tried, maybe the ones that are smaller and more similar to the nipple might be best to give a go, Tara prefers this type of dummy as I think it doesn't take up her whole mouth.

E is another bubba that only wanted to use me as her comforter and i was getting to the point she wouldn't sleep without being attached - as sweet as it was, i knew DH was going to be working away - and for me to get showers and eat, i had to find anothe way (slings didn't cut it!) - we got the Avent dummies, and just persevered. i would wiggle it side to side in her mouth so it knocked against her tongue and caught her attention and after a couple of days she would take it - but only when she only needed comfort - if her mouth was dry or she wanted a drink or feed, it got spat good and proper! now, she only has the dummy in the car (attached to her bib in case she gets upset - she generally just chews the handle though) or at sleep time - and even then only if she's not immediately ready to sleep - if she is super tired, she will turn her head away from it! very cute! she generally spits it out as soon as she dozes off too so i'm not too worried about her getting rid of it. i think she'll end up being like me - a preference for singing at bed time - sounds very damn cute lol

E is also a little fair headed poppet with a "ranga" tinge. it is getting redder so not sure if it we go the strawberry blonde, deep auburn like mine (and her Daddy - poor kid was bound to be a ranga!), or a more orange red like my nephew. not too phased how it turns out - it's rather cute on her anyway

well, E is now 8months - no idea where that time has gone! i spent part of yesterday sorting and folding the clothes that no longer fit her (0000-00, well most of her 00's) - i got a wee bit teary - i am struggling to remember her being so tiny, which is really sad! was holding a friends DD the other day - K is 3.5months and over half a kilo bigger than E was at the same time - but i just couldn't remember it properly. i had a let down cos i got all emotional folding her clothes lol

she is now commando crawling, walking holding our hands, has her first tooth, and is saying so much. she has her words, and she uses them in context. she shakes her head no when she doesn't want something (or doesn't want to do what she is told!), and the last week or so, has started saying "mummy, BOOBF"! she has now added pa pa (for granpa) and mam ma (granma) - it comes out distinctly different than her mum mum and mummy - and she only says it when looking at them so we know the context.

hoping she has a decent sleep now - she has been asking to go in her pool for days - is finally warm enough but she was way too tired so i sent her back to bed. when she wakes up, we'll set it up for her.

ETA - anyone wanting to add me on FB, drop me a PM! i have a photo or 500 up! lol

Not much time to chat, but i just wanted to say to Murph that we struggled to get DS#1 to take a dummy (I was admitted to hosp, and he needed a bit of comfort sucking). In the end we did a trick that is maybe bad, but it worked! We put a touch of Gripe Water (from the supermarket) on the end of the dummy. It's sweet, i guess that's why it worked. Then he got used to it, and was happy to take it. It did make life easier. :redface:

Jo

Hi All and a big welcome to Smithy and Poppyfairy. So good to see you both over here.

Smithy - I know it is hard to let go of the pregnancy thread - I think we all felt that way initially, but you are more than welcome here and we look forward to hearing more about little Charlie.

Poppyfairy - I used a cream called Lansinoh (I think it is made of Lanolin) on my sore nipples - it is perfectly safe for babies, so you don't need to wash your nipples before feeding. You can get it from most chemists and it really helped. It is for soothing, healing and protecting sore nipples. I know how hard it can be in those early weeks to get them attaching properly. Good luck - I hope it doesn't take you too much longer to get him attaching well.

Grub - you poor thing I hope you recover quickly from your infection so you can get off those antibiotics. I had a bout of Mastatis when Jasmine was about 2 months old, so I know how horrible it can be.

Murph - We have been lucky that Jasmine has always taken to a dummy and bottle. I think it was to do with the fact that it took a while for my milk to come in so I was having to do formula top ups. We also use the Avent dummies and I have to say that even though Jasmine is almost 10 months, she still uses the newborn size! I just think it is sometimes a matter of trial and error as to which dummy they will take to.

BG - It still blows my mind how many words Miss E is saying! What a clever little girl you have there. Great to hear how much she is moving around too.

Hi to Neptune, Kahlan, Kelly, Acacia, Marcellus, Bella, BW and anyone else I have misssed - hope you are all well.

AFU - 3 sleeps until our holiday! Can't wait... I THINK I am organised/ I HOPE I am organised! Jasmine had the H1N1 flu shot on Friday last week - she was very brave. I wanted to get her some protection before our trip to the States and also before she starts at Nursery. In the little ones they have to get another shot a month after the first one to get full protection. She has had a couple of very small reactions which I was expecting anyhow - slightly runny nose, slightly runny poos, and a very mild cough... but those all appear to have only lasted about 48 hours. So she is back to normal now.

Janie and Jasmine xxx

just a quick one for murp re dummy - i really didn't want to go the dummy path but Ash really really finds great comfort in it to help his wind. He's very certain when he wants it and when he doesn't and pops it out himself once he's asleep. He's laying next to me doing number 2s while sucking like a crazy baby lol.

anyhoo, our lactation consultant said to just pick up the cheap, no name cherry-shaped brand (we got ours from woolies, comes with a plastic cover which is very handy). We use them only after a feed and in the car and I stay up until he's asleep to remove the dummy so he can learn to resettle himself at night without it.

oh dear.. .poor darling. he's had a lot of pain the last 24 hrs.. he was grunting and crying in his sleep last night and moving his legs like he was having bowel pain. The last day i have just got him out of his bassinette and patted his bum til he settles. seems to work.

got our first giggle too!!! my heart melted... except it was while he was asleep. DH reckons he was having a dream about the two "young and pretty'' ladies who did his renal scan! lol.

off for our shots and 6 week check up! hopefully i'll be putting my running shoes on this week :) can't wait!

sorry no persies gotta go. grunter callin.
oxo

Lol Lenny, at least you didn't put whiskey on it, hey?

OH, first giggles, how lovely!

I still love it whenever DS laughs. It's the most wonderful sound, isn't it? Sometimes he just loses it at the funniest things. The other day he was playing "doing th eshopping". He'd push his little stroller off to the dirt driveway, pick up some dirt and put in under teh stroller (where the basket is on the one I push him in). then pushed the stroller back over to us and handed over the "moo nha nha" (that's cow's milk btw) to granma. She says thanks, shall i put it in the fridge, then mimes opening the fridge and puting the milk in. DS looked at her like she was mad and cracked up. But then when he brought the cheese back he put that in as well.

Wow BG, she's talking so much already!

Hope you guys have a great holiday Janie!

Hope the infection clears up quickly Grub. I had to have ABs for same thing and it was not nice for DS.

Hi Poppy and welcome over here - how're you guys doing? Any better with the feeding? It really is a lot of hard work in the early weeks - no matter how you do it! Feeding on a recline like Grub suggested could be worth a shot.

I think it generally takes a bit of work to get babies to take an artificial nipple, just cause it's not quite what they're expecting, but some definately seem to take more effort than others. We only used one ocasionaly for a short time when DS was little - had to hold it there and force him to take it, which really feels wrong. But then he was doing better and we didn't use it for a week or so and when we tried again - nup. would not take it. to be honest (and although there were times I wished he would just suck a dummy!) I'm glad he never got stuck on them.

And hi Smithy too! This place is getting crowded :D

Hello, just a quick one (I promise),

in a nutshell, I have tried all but one of your suggestions re the dummy-sucking. I have dear (avanti newborn) and cheap (woollies cherry), soft and hard, same with bottles and no joy. common sense has led me to try most of the ideas without knowing to do it and then my MCHN tells me to do the same thing and you all tell me too, so at least I feel like my instincts are on track. They make her gag and throw up (gag reaction) so I'm thinking there must be even smaller dummies as they go too deep and she hates it. any other suggestions are welcome. I'm going to get there...(once more with conviction)...:rolleyes:

The "but one" is the gripe water, so off to the shops tomorrow to find smaller dummy and gripe water (oh and wind drops for green poo, but that's a whole other Oprah story;)

Cheers, lovelies.xox

Hey there all - Murph I am sure that you can get dummies for premmie babies that may be more suitable for what you need... not sure where you could buy them from, but there are heaps of premmie shop sites on the net that maybe able to help.

Hi to everyone else.

Janie xxx

Janie: Have a fantastic holiday and fingers crossed for you that Jasmine is teething free for the time you are away. Hopefully she will be a good girl for you on the long flight.

Well girls I was just looking at the calender and realised that 1 year ago today (2/2/09) was the day our little princess was taken out of the freezer (along with her unsuccessful twin) and put back in to start growing. Wow what a year it has been, and it is so scary to think that time has gone by so fast.

Anyway speaking of my princess I had better go and wake her up for a feed, she has been a bit unsettled at night the past couple of nights which is unusual but is also sleeping way longer ie: she is going to bed at 7.30pm and around midnight she has been whinging in her sleep so we put her dummy in, then she wakes at 4.30am and is chatting away until dummy is put back in again. Sleeps again until 7am and then grizzles in her sleep, dummy back again and then she crashes out.

Yesterday she did the same thing and when I got her up to feed at 9am she didn't actually wake up, she fed while still asleep. She only woke up to do her morning pooey nappy and onced changed she went back to sleep again and didn't wake up until 10.45am. I'm thinking she is growing again, mmm will see at next weeks weigh in.

Hi all,

Great to hear everyone's different experiences with their LOs. Strengthens my newly reconfirmed belief that we all usually know what is best for our babies.

I say this because I have got over my little anxious weekend of worrying about my bf'ing technique. The health visitor came today and weighed my baby and he is putting on weight as he should. My boobs are no longer sore with the help of lanisoh so pooh to the nasty breastfeeding coordinator at the children's centre who criticised my latching. DS and I are coming to the end of his three week growth spurt and we have done it OUR way. Yes he may not latch on in the textbook way and perhaps as a consequence he is feeding longer than he should but I have the time for his feeds and I am getting more breaks (the cluster feeds are only at nighttime now and they mean he sleeps through for at least three to four hours so I really do not mind) He is still only three weeks old so still getting used to not being continually fed by the placenta so I am not going to worry about what some 'professional tells us.'

:hooray: Poppy! You're absolutely right! Sounds like he is doing really well.

Poppyfairy - i'm sure you will find yourself saying pooh to people more and more. Sometimes advice is well intended, but we know deep down what is right for us and our bubs and we get more and more confident in sorting through the good ideas we are offered - and disregarding the unhelpful ones.

:hug:

:clap: your doing great by the sounds poppy..well done hun

well done Poppy and welcome.. yes mothers do know their bub.. even DH has to agree that most of my instincts about Lyla's behaviours and reactions are accurate.

Murph, I was just wondering have you thought about encouraging Jazz to suck her fingers/hand. While I never had to consider dummy or thumb for Lyla (because she is a great settler and has no gas/reflux probs) I was told that the alternative to dummy is the LO's own hand/fingers. The trick is when wrapping we just have to make sure their hands are close enough to their face so that could suck on when they need to.

Grub, first giggle is a heart melting thing isn't it. I remembered the first time Lyla smiled (in her sleep at 2 days old) we knew we had a smiler. She now smiles and laughs all the time.

BG - God Miss E is such a charmer and sounds like a really clever girl. I can't wait for Lyla's first word. So far the only thing I got is Mummmma when she is very upset and really wants mummy to rectify the problem straight away. I don't think it is her first word though as I don't think she knows what it meant.

Kelly, you are very lucky to have a sleeper during growth spurt. Lyla during her growth spurt is extremely fussy in both sleep and feed.

To everyone else I hope you are doing well.

AFU, well we did try the sleeping bag but unfortunately I feel so very sorry for her because she would try doubly hard to crawl, climb and stand in her sleeping bag. I have resolved to letting her do all of the above in her cot for a short while then when she is really tired and cranky, I would give a little cuddle and then put her down to settle. Tried it tonight and she fell asleep pretty much straight away. The other night I actually found her falling asleep kneeling and hugging a pillow with one arm ( I put them there to prevent her from hitting her head onto the cot rail if she happens to fall) and the other hand was on the cot rail waiting to pull to stand. I don't know what to think! She is very tenacious.. I guess considering what it took for us to bring her into this world and what she had to go through to get her I can truly understand.

For those of little ones who have started solid, may I ask how many meals are your little ones having and how much. Lyla is having 2 meals a day and approximately 100-150 mls of solid. Not sure when I should introduce the 3rd meal.

Hello everyone,
I had a great day today and will come and tell you about it tomorrow, but you just have to see these photos. The girl I met in hospital hours before our c-sects is now a good friend and today we caught up and the babies ( born an hour apart) met. OMG!!!!!!! Tell me...is this boy normal? My eyes didn't believe what they were seeing.

Angela Bengsen's Photos - Jazz meets Mace (born 1 hour apart) | Facebook

most days E only has 2 meals - she is offered boob first thing in the morning, and breakfast if she wants it. generally she only has a piece of fruit IF she has anything at all. yesterday she had a lovely prune covered face - don't think any made it into her mouth! for lunch she has anything from half a sandwich to a full sandwich, yogurt if she is eating plenty. i don't push it. again, she gets offered (and usually accepts) boob first. dinner is whatever we're having. tonight it was sweet and sour chicken. no idea the volume - really depends on what we're having! i'd say she had two generous serving spoons of stuff. she wore half the rice, but a fair bit of veg and chicken got eaten. she feeds herself so the mess is just whatever the mess is! we make sure she is eating, but i don't monitor how much exactly. have read many times the mantra "food is fun until they're one" - and that's how we're eating. we do have doggies that enjoy eating her mess though!

having said all that, on weekends, this gets turned on it's head by DH "helping" - he makes rissoles or something for brunch one day, and this is generally accompanied by french toast. she will eat half a slice of bread and a home made rissole for brunch. the other day is pancakes - she pigs out! he makes extra pancakes for her for the coming days, but she just picks at them most days.

she tends to eat pretty well (and her weight gain supports that - averaging 180gm a week!). LOVES her vegies - but will clamp her mouth shut and shake her head visciously if someone tries to feed her mashed anything. it's real food all the way!

the chatterbox has new words and new tricks every day. apparently i was quite talkative as a kidlet too (not this young, but younger than average). she has her first tooth, is commando crawling, is keen to be on her feet, and is in to EVERYTHING! i didn't realise i'd have to baby proof quite this early! her fave game at the moment is over-excited eskimo kisses - they hurt! but are so cute - and she giggles like a loon while she does it. i recorded it and now have it as the ringtone on my phone when a message comes in. only did it last night - woke up when a friend messaged and went to abuse DH for snoring beside me while she was at the other end of the house giggling (sounded like the baby monitor! oops!)

Murph, E has been like the little man you met up with today - she has always wanted to sit and stand. was never a "floppy" baby like most babies i see. i kinda grieve that we didn't have that with her!

Hi girls

Janie - have a fantastic trip!

Grub - I remember Adam doing a lot of grunting at the same age, it was what prompted me to get him out of our bedroom and into his own room!!! Never really knew what the issue was, but it always happened after the 3am feed. He wasn't awake, so I got much more sleep once he was in his own room. I hope the poor little mite feels better soon. And I also hope that your infection clears up and you are off the AB's soon love.

Murph - OMG, that baby is ...unusual!! Just reading in my developmental psych book and that doesn't even rate in the milestones!!! Very cute, and just a little bit freaky. God Jazzy looks cute in her little baby-doll dress :thumbsup: With dummies, I found the pigeon newborn ones quite small????

BG - Little miss E sounds so clever and adorable. Every time I read about a baby that's a little bit older, I can't wait for Adam to get to that stage; however I also have many sad moments when I remember things that he did as a younger baby and I can't believe he has grown so much already. If that makes any sense.

Kahlan - It sounds like you have found a method that works for you with Lyla's bedtime, well done. It all comes down to trial and error, doesn't it? And doing what works for you.

Poppyfairy - So sorry to hear about your BFing problems. Good on you for finding your own way, and keep trying, you will get there.

Smithy - welcome to the parenting thread!! You will love it and you will soon be just as attached as to the other one! Your video was fantastic, Charlie is just lovely.

A big :hello: to Marcellus, Lenny, KellyD, and anyone else I have missed.

AFM> Adam is a bit unsettled at the moment. Has some crying episodes where we have no idea what is wrong and he gets more and more upset to the point that he is really distressed! Very clingy too, and he can be perfectly happy in his rocker or playing on the floor but if he sees me leave the room watch out! He seems to be chewing a lot on fingers and objects; could he be teething? Also waking once or twice during the night and needs comforting. I figure it's just a phase?

Phew - looks like I am giving Grub and Murph a run for their money :p.........on 2nd thoughts, not even close.

PS - Grub - enjoy your first run if you get out there this week. It feels weird at first, but good to back!

Neptune

Tara is going throught the same sort of stage as Adam with the waking during the night and needing resettling, just with the dummy though and also she is now very aware of where I am at all times. If she goes to someone she knows (she will under no circumstances go to anyone she doesn't know) she still watches me all the time to make sure I'm around. She even does this with DH, although I am still able to leave the room if we are at home on our own but once someone else is about she freaks a little bit if she thinks I've left her.

Murph, Tara has also been a very strong baby. Right from the beginning she has wanted to be upright and sit or stand if possible. I think it is because she spent so much time upside down when inside. Enjoy Jazzy still being a baby because trust me before you know it she will be doing things all the time.

Hi everyone else.

Just letting you know that Tara is now getting the hang of this rolling thing. She likes to hold onto my finger as support and then can get from back to tummy and is even working out how to get back again. Before I know it she will be rolling everywhere... Ahhh the eyes in the back of my head are really going to be handy soon. Anyway better be off, Mothers Group this morning.

Kelly you need eyes in the back, front, top and sides of your head - and even then it won't feel like enough! once Tara gets truly mobile, you'll never be the same again! E took a while to get really mobile (where i couldn't leave her in the room and expect to find her pretty close to where i left her) - now i can't leave at all as she is into EVERYTHING. in the few minutes i've been typing this, E has crawled through her activity gym, looked at herself in the glass on the tv cabinet, tried to tip the nappy basket over (twice - i have moved her both times), rolled over to her nappy bag, moved that, grabbed my shoes, gone back through her activity gym (i had to move the nappy bag and shoes!) rolled half way across the lounge, grabbed a nappy liner, tried to clean her toys and is now laying on her back, chewing toys, clunking them together, hitting the chair, trying to balance the toys on her feet.... she is full on - but amazing. i am constantly amazed by her development, her speed, her ability to interact with everyone - such a gorgeous girl! i can't believe i was getting to the point of calling off the assisted conception and accepting a life without children... ooooh - she's back in the activity gym again! i live for nap times so i can have a few seconds to myself lol.

i had no net access yesterday for a large portion of the day, so i spent the day importing photos to a program that sorts and tags them without creating multiple copies of the file - i think we've been a little snap happy! i have copies of all of mum's photos (just adding that before i get looked at like i'm insane!) but there have been more than 4000 photos and vids from when E was born until new years day! oops! digi cameras rock! we have talked about it and have no issue taking 30photos close together with the intention of getting one or two decent ones. that kind of attitude has left us with some absolutely hilarious shots, but some absolutely amazing ones as well! thankfully we don't have to print them all to see what they come out like though....

very tired today - AF is back for second time since E's birth (no cycle while trying, but BF night and day and she shows up - wt???). for those hoping that BF will keep her away, don't count on it! if you really don't want another bubba close together, i would suggest using alternative contraceptives. especially given most people don't fall into a normal cycle straight away.... we're happy to play russian roullette as we won't go through AC again, but will happily accept a natural miracle - but others may not be so relaxed about it all lol


ETA - neptune, have sent friends request on FB hun. looking forward to beaking at some bubba piccies!

Just separation anxiety. It comes and goes and tends to peak at certain times in their development. All you can do is offer the reassurance they need. They also get very interested in the world around them at that age, which can also mean they're too busy to rest properly.

I'm amazed at your litle E! She's a real firecracker (with the hair to match)! We were the same, poo pooed suggestions to go on BCP. I mean, what for? In my case af didn't come back till A was over 16 months old...

A was always trying to stand up (not quite that well, I should add). He wasn't an early mover or anything, just overly optimistic I think. Your girl is super cute Murph. I need to get round to checking out all the links you ladies have posted. I do like baby pics ;)

Kahlan - that sounds so gorgeous! A likes sleeping as though he's prostrating himself before god, kneeds tucked right up underneath, arms out to the sides and head to the ground.

definitely a firecracker! temper matches her hair too - we just try and distract her... she's generally a really happy girl but sometimes she loses it!

with all the nasty lead up to teething, her first two teeth have come through overnight on nights she has essentially slept through - with no issues! go figure!

marcellus - DS1 sometimes sleeps like that too - it's such a cute postion. But then sometimes he is flat on his back, sometimes curled up on his side, sometimes he is squished up against the cot bars!

BG - Sounds like miss E is an absolute delight. Don't you just pinch yourself sometimes. I guess we all do. It's tough somedays - but we wouldn't swap it for the world.

Neptune - I'm sure that your DS is just going through a phase of needing reassurance. :hug: The distressed crying is hard to hear though - it's designed to break a mother's heart, I'm sure!

100% agree Lenny - so often I just stop and gaze in wonder at my boy. How on earth...?

I need some advice/reassurance etc...

I think Tara is starting teething already...

We have had the unsettled nights and only having minimal cat naps during the day. She is normally a very happy chatty baby, but now all the chatting seems to be cranky and whingy and she is having random bursts of crying. She is chewing her hands and fingers lots and is becoming very reliant on the dummy for sleep and the amount of drool leaves puddles as well. Now for the yucky part... Her nappies are horrendous, they were always quite bad but now they are enough to get the gag reflex happening and they are going all the way up her back. I've noticed that her lower gums are very white but no blisters as yet and also she has developed this unpleasant aroma about her which smells like strong urine (even with a clean nappy on). Does it seem like teething?? If so, what do you recommend to help?? I've purchased an Amber teething necklace and tried it on her but she complains even more with it on which is doing my head in?? Some ideas would be great.

KellyD - I don't have any advice for you, but maybe knowing that Adam is doing the same things - except the smelly nappy, but maybe that will be tomorrow's joy - makes you feel as though you have company!!!

It sure sounds like teething, but the MCHN also told me that weeks 15 through to 20 (or something like that) is referred to as a stormy period where they are a bit more clingy, whingy and upset, but I think with drooling and chewing surely something is happening.

Also, if she has a strong smell of urine, could her urine be concentrated and/ or have a UTI????? If so, she may be feeling unwell. Have you checked her temperature?

By the time you do all of this, you'll probably go back and find a tiny white tooth!

Big hugs to you.

Teething is a possibility Kelly, they do start that early sometimes.
A was like this at that age - drooling heaps and chewing his hands (the clinginess and bad sleeping....well....that's more constant for us, but it might have been worse then). Anyway, he didn't get his first tooth till 8 months, so he wasn't teething.

As for the urine smell - is she doing plenty of wet nappies? How many per day? I'm not sure about poos because she's on forumula, isn't she? I guess it would be different. They do do huge poos sometimes, though... Could you give your CHN a call and see what she thinks? Just for some reassurance.

Top comment goes to Lenny. You hit the nail on the head there. I just see this look on DH's face and I know he is having one of those "is this really happening" moments. He thinks I get bored of hearing him just say how unbelievable it is but I feel exactly the same. We are all so lucky to be where we are with our history of bad luck behind us.

Now who recommended gripe water to me? Well, you are not very popular with Jazz and neither am I :lol:. Oh dear, she hated it with a passion. I couldn't get any of it into her and stopped trying. I had always thought gripe water was some harmless watery liquid but this is like an antacid with a very strong taste. it did say on the bottle that it was a new formula, so may have changed.

Hooray for cute first giggles hey grub. i often get them in her sleep as she drops off the boob..too cute.

i still can't do the big catch up as i gotta give dh the internet (anyone would think finishing a phd thesis with 2 weeks to go is more important than my social life:o)

i found teeny weeny dummy (sister browne) cute and there was no gagging (so tiny) but she launched it as she prefers to chew. I'm going to try a NUK funny shaped one next and that's it. Yay, she has now discovered her hands and as per kahlans suggestion (i think), yes i am thinking that she will be a hand sucker and it's taking no persuading. i don't wrap her, she has just found her mouth in the past two days and its great. i am strapping teething toys to her wrist and she loves biting...so i get my fingers back. Too bad i don't get my boobies back, as it's only going to comfort her but not fix the wind. that's okay, im getting better with burping her.

thanks for sharing all the great stories abouut your gorgeous babies. It's funny to look into the future, but good to enjoy my little jellyfish just as she is. she will have enough obstacles to overcome without needing to be an over achiever and I'm beginning to think she is just a little bit cute to people other than myself..so there's a talent;) kidding. i am dying to see everyones babies. briggsysgirl, you are teasing us.

p.s...yes i am feeding:shakehead:

LOL Murph.
btw, rather than gripe water, try Brauers stomach calm. A loved it and it seemed to help a little at that age. It's all natural so she might like the taste better....

oh, well actually I have a picture blog for A if anyone's interested
mamaminime dot blogspot dot com

Hi Girls

Tara is doing lots of wee's as I have very heavy nappies everytime I change her and no obvious signs of a UTI ie: fever, rash etc (I have a bladder condition so I know all about UTI's) at Mothers Group the MCHN made comment that she can tell when a baby is teething as she can smell them... she did describe it a an amonia smell... Tara has her next weigh in on Tuesday so I'll ask more questions then.

It is just so hard on her as she goes from being a happy laughing baby to a cranky miserable baby in the blink of an eye.

Murph: I was using "Infants Friend" wind drops for Tara, they are all natural and supposedly is pleasant to taste. It smells a bit like aniseed but whatever it is Tara loved it and I had no problem with her taking them.

:hello: beautiful mummies,
im not even going to try perssies just yet,but happily reading all your posts.
every time i usually get on the computer charlie knows im sure lol.
we had our nurse come to home today to weigh and check our little girl and she now weighs 7 pound 3 oz :clap: im so happy,this means i must be doing something rite as it was my main concern that she wasnt putting on any weight but my little darlin is im so proud of her. she is still feeding every 3 hrs day & night im a bit tired sometimes but dont want to wing i just want to enjoy every second with her and today shes 2 weeks old already OMG were did that go girls it makes me a bit sad already shes growing so fast.
im also going to start going to a mothers group on tuesdays so really looking foward to that and meeting some new friends.
anyways girls thanks for listening to the me post will try and catch up soon i promise.
love smithy

Hi Smithy,

Great to hear from you. I sometimes scan through Lyla's photo from birth and marvel at how grown she is. I do miss those days and nights where I just wished she would be awake long enough for me to talk to and cuddle... fast forward and now I sometimes look forward to her nap so I could get some house work done.

Kelly, not sure about the smelly bit but Lyla has cranky times without teething. Her two bottom teeth just came through 1 week ago and she had no symptoms. I just accidently felt her gum and discovered them! She drool a lot and a lot since 3 months, had red cheeks on and off, poo change and had a couple of explosive green ones that went everywhere but no teeth until now.

Murph, I really want to share photos but I don't have facebook or anything of the kind... not to brag but I have been told on a number occasions that if I sent Lyla's photos to advertising agency she would soon be in some baby product ads. I am sure people are being overly kind but I will take it as gospel.

Goodnight everyone, got to go and feed Lyla now.