Newborn to 1 Month, January '05

[Astrolady]

Welcome to the Newborn to 1 Month thread for January 2005!

To have any of your details included in this thread, please reply to this post and a moderator will add you to the list.

Newborn to 1 Month List - Jan '05

Forum Name:
State:
Baby's DOB:
Baby's Stats: Weight - Length - Head Circ -
Gender of Baby: Boy / Girl
Baby Name(s):
Baby's Website:
Health Concerns: (e.g. eczema, reflux, colic)
Notes: (e.g. 9 days early, breech etc.)
__________________________________________________ ___________

[Antheia]

Kathryn, could you please put my website in the stats info thingy.

http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/l/lilymayellen/

TIA,

[*Jessica*]

Happy New year everyone, I bet we are all busy looking after our bundles of joy.

I am getting more and more experienced at b/f which I am really happy about. Thanks for all the support, it has really helped.

Not much to report, Aidan has had 1 long 5 hour sleep the past 2 nights and he seems to be in a bit of a routine where he has a long sleep late afternoon and one in the middle of the night. I wonder if it is a 'routine' or he will surprise me with a new timetable tomorrow!

Jess

[Antheia]

Jess, great to hear that Aidan has given you a little more sleep the last couple of days. Hope he keeps it up! Lily is still sleeping the night through, which is so great.

Not much to report here either. Just that Lily is getting bigger by the day! I think she has grown about 5-6cms since birth. That's a lot!

Hope everyone had a great new years!

Take care,

[mipsy]

Sorry, hectic few days and unable to get online - hope no-one interpreted it as a dummy spit (pardon the pun....)

I am not offended in any way shape or form by the comments ref Babywise. Once I read more about ii I was horrified I had considered using it. I contacted my paediatrician who disagreed with some of the ideas, and also Aust Breastfeeding Assoc who were obviously strongly against it. I appreciate all the comments, I'll take it all on board and will use what I think is appropriate for us. Will try and find the Pinky McKay books and see what futher advice I can get from there. I can assure you thought Ashleigh is thriving no end, a real little chunky monkey, we will be going to get weighed on Tues so will let you know how we go.

I will not be using Babywise any longer - and as for the nap times we will just work at it. I hate the controlled crying method - I think I end up more distressed than Ashleigh, and she is VERY distressed over it!!! She goes down reasonably well at night, it's just the day ones she sometimes doesn't want. I got a "bounceonnette" thingy (the mesh on a frame) and she loves that so if she is happy sitting there and not napping well thats her choice! She has started lenghtening her first night feed, a 4 hr in between on Fri night and 4 1/2 last night. So it's back to 3 hrs after that, but she is doing one big stretch!!!

My DH is away for a few days with work so Mum is with me. It is really helpful having her here and a wealth of knowledge. (mind you she used controlled crying with me and it hasn't done me any harm 8-[ !) But that's what they did way back then......

Sorry for War and Peace,
Anna

[*Jessica*]

Tegan, so glad to hear that yourself and Lily are doing so well!

Anna, it sounds like you and Ashleigh have naturally gotten into a great routine, you should be proud of yourselves. I am yet to research much about controlled crying and 'forced' routines but I want to stress I am FAR from an expert, but I really want you to realise how well you are doing! =D>

Aidan seems to enjoy 2 long sleeps now, last night he fed at 8pm and didnt wake for his next feed until 1am, after than it was every 3-4 hours but I expect another long sleep either now or later tonight.

Jess

[mipsy]

Jess, thanks for the encouragement, as with anything new it's good to know we are on the right track.

Miss Mouse had a 5 hr break in between feeds last night (7pm-midnight) and my breasts are suffering from it!! Now I know how the poor old cows feel waiting to be milked LOL. Wish most of that was sleep, only about 2 1/2 hrs were though...... Sounds like Aidan is similar to Ashleigh - a big break then back to 3 hr feeds.

I have started to put Ashleigh in her cot for an occasional nap so as to get used to it - she is rapidly growing to big for the bassinette and will need to be moved out in a few weeks. They grow so fast don't they?

cheers for now
Anna

[BellyBelly]

Anna - you are doing very well, don't you worry! I don't think anyone has their first baby and is 100% certain of what they need to do and what their baby will be like, hence they seek out help from books, websites etc. for what they think is the best way to bring up their baby. Unfortunately there are so many different people saying so many different things, of course it's going to be totally confusing to poor mums and dads!

One of the reasons I have become anti-controlled crying is exactly what you said about them growing up. Because they do grow soooo fast. Today's society has devised and widely embraced all of these many, different routines and ways to make baby more 'convenient' for our lifestyles. I thought it was supposed to be about baby and baby's needs? Maybe it's just me. But they are too young to know how to be manipulative and try to get their own way with us!

I know if I was to do controlled crying, I would later regret missing out on all that cuddle time and comforting my baby - it's all I want to do when my little ones cry. I want to nurture and care for them and in the way I want to do it - and my kids aren't spoilt and naughty little brats from parenting them this way either! I'm very proud of them.

I am not saying those who control cry are neglecting their babies in any way - so anyone please don't think that! I'm all about what works for you, as long as bubs is happy and healthy - that's the main thing in all of this. Gentle for baby, but also gentle for mums and dads.

I know once my little ones become more independent, I will be sad to lose all the 'potential' cuddle time, through crying and comforting them with cuddles as well as in general. As some midwives told me when I had Elijah that as soon as they go to kindergarten/pre-school, often they get a taste for independence and they fly on ahead with a big, 'Bye mummy!'. Apparently moreso the case with girls being more independent quicker. I am going to be very sad the day I lose my cuddly girl to the big wide world... but I wont stop her of course So I am going to enjoy every cuddle I can get

You're doing great - be a proud mummy

[*Jessica*]

Anna,

Aidan and Ashleigh sound so similar, although last night Aidan forgot to give me a 5 hour feed break so I'm a little tired but I cant complain because they were still only every 3-4 hours which aint bad from what I have heard from other people.

We are off to see the nurse today, cant wait to see if Aidan has broken any weight gaining records!

Jess

[*Jessica*]

Just to let you know, Aidan is now 4.525kg (9pound15ounces) so he has put on 6ounces in the 2 weeks since his birth, when normally they hope to only meet their birth weight at 2 weeks of age!

Jess (the proud Mum!)

[Ambah]

Woohoo for Aidan! \/ that is fantastic Jess, you both sound like you are doing so well!!!

[Phteven]

woohoo Jess and Aidan. Its nice to get confirmation that you're doing well isn't it! (even though you can tell from the way that they grow out of everything).

[*Jo*]

Hey Jess, that's great news! Sounds like you are doing a fanastic job! Haven't been able to get Kaleb an appointment with the CHN until tomorrow, so I'll let you know how he's going. There is no rhyme or reason to his sleep pattern yet, and after every feed it is like 'will he go off to sleep this time or is it going to be 2 hours of rocking and singing', which is okay during the day, but at 2am is pretty daunting. Yesterday he slept from 5pm till 11pm, which was amazing, but he then barely slept for the rest of the night. It makes me wonder whether or not to wake him for a feed earlier, so he'll sleep better later on. Aaagrh, it's so hard to know what to do for the best! One fantastic thing I have discovered is that he loves his baby sling (he is in there now) so I can get so much more done while carrying him around.

Tegan, I didn't realise Kaleb and Lily were born a minute apart! That is an amazing coincidence! Hope you're both going well too.

[mipsy]

Well we went to the CHN yesterday - Ashleigh now weighs 4.34kg - that's another 340gm since last Weds!!! She is a little Buddah baby now O

After our previous 3 nights of stretching out the first feed it was back to 3 hr feeds - on the dot!!! That child has the most accurate body clock I know...... I feel like the walking dead, but hey, she's happy. I fantasise about the last days of pregnancy when I was getting a solid 8hrs sleep a night and trying to really appreciate it. Now I REALLY appreciate it!

Jess, glad to hear Aidan is doing well, it's so comforting to know they are putting on weight!

Beth how do you find using the sling? I have a baby bjorn, but it is killing my already painful back.

Kelly I agree with what you say about comforting baby - the couple of times we tried the controlled crying when I went in to comfort her the tears stopped the second I picked her up and she clung on to me like she was drowning. There is no way I cause that much distress again.

cheers
Anna

[BellyBelly]

Anna, check out the "Recommend a Book or Product" forum right down the bottom of the main page - there is a big thread about slings - we love 'em!! No pain like the Baby Bjorn! I'm a convert

[Antheia]

Well i would like to announce that my little girl did her first big smile yesterday!!! So a very happy mummy here! \/ \/

On another note, that's not so good, Lily has become a thumb sucker!! #-o Although she loves her dummy, she's now taking fancy to her thumb AND her dummy...Never heard of a dummy sucker and a thumb sucker? :-s

[*Jo*]

Oh Tegan, congrats on Lily's smile - what an amazing moment that must be! Hopefully I'll have that soon!

Anna, I am loving the sling. I've got a Baba Sling, and I've found it really comfy to wear, you can swap shoulders or wear it on your back. Apparently they are better for the baby's back too, because it follows the natural curve of their spine rather that the carriers that put pressure on their lower back and hips - well, this is what the advertising jargon tells you anyway.

Went to see CHN yesterday, Kaleb's put on 420g in 2 weeks, so pretty happy with that! Appointment went for 1 1/2 hours - she watched me give him a bottle, burp him, change his nappy - very thorough!

DH goes back to work tomorrow which I am a bit sad about, although having 4 weeks off has been great. It will be interesting to see how I cope on my own, kind of looking forward to testing myself actually!

Hope everyone is well!

[MiMo]

Hi

Im having terrible problems with poor little Hannah, she gets really, really bad wind pains and cant sleep coz they wake her up. Its a double whammy coz she (and me) is so tired but the wind is keeping her awake. It also seems to be worse when she lays horizontal so getting her into her cot is impossible.

I have tried gripe water (on the midwife's recommendation) and it doesnt seem to make much difference and now Im trying Infacol on a friend in WA's recommendation and in desperation have bought a dummy and a bouncer 2 things I wanted to avoid!!!

Any suggestions? Also for anyone who has succumbed giving their bubs a dummy do you have any ideas how to keep their use to a minimum - are they really that bad?