Babies Born April 1st - 15th 2008 #1

[Beatrix]

LL- each to their own, but do you know that the very first disposible made and used has still not broken down?

but yeah i very much dounbt a baby as little as your bub woud have fit into any type of cloth!!!


FARK... Annika has just wandered out of her bedroom

[MagicSeahorse]

Thank heavens they don't make the like that any more, or I really would be beating myself up. Not every thing was made better in the "olden days". But life is full of compromise.

Tonight we tried stewed apple. Not really sure about it. things certainly got messy, when usually he tries not to let anything escape. Loves his grub. He has no problems with the rice cerial, and even opens his mouth for it. I think your own reaction has a lot to do with wether he likes some thing or not. Every time Hunter has tried some thing new, he has a mouth full, gets this "OMG what the F it this??!!" look on his face, like he's going to spit it out, then looks at me. I give him a big smile and do nummy-nummy noises,(try to look enthusiastic) and he gives me a big smile and then is quite happy to eat it.
How does everyone else get on, getting bubbs to try new foods?

[BabyWrangler]

Hi LL
My little fella has been great with new foods.
He LOVED carrot when when tried that, and now chews on raw carrot sticks (but only at the moment cause he hasn't bitten chunks off..when that happens he'll stop having them til he has chewing totally mastered!).
He loves his rice cereal, and we are heading to weetbix probably next week and also starting to introduce lunch...may still be vegies at this stage, maybe fruit.

So far he's having:
Potato
Sweet potato
Broccoli
Zucchini
Carrot
Rice
Rice Cereal

We'll start on some toast soon too, and also going to start giving him some meat to chew on.

[Fire]

Lisy are you using the groovy biodegradeable nappies? I like them, only one piece isn't biodegradeable. Although, it isn't cloth nappies, which I dreamed of using but only used for three months (sigh), it is a compromise. They still take way too long to break down, and aren't "natural", but hey, I gotta do what I gotta do - I had one HELL of a first six months with my son, it's amazing I got a nappy on him at all most days!

Regarding food, we are on the allergy schedule, only breast milk until at least 7 months and then one new food every three days. Not how I wanted it to go (much like everything since I got pregnant really) but his little gut got mulched by the birth antibiotics and now he reacts. I am building up his gut flora and it has really done wonders. But I am not risking a sensitivity, which is much harder to reverse once they have it than it is to prevent.

Even though he is strictly breastfed, he is sleeping longer now and feeding less. I hear (as a kind of joke) that you get one of two babies - either one that sleeps well early on and then their sleep goes to the pack at six to 9 months; or a baby that sleeps poorly until six months and then starts to sleep well and then stays sleeping well. You'll never know how hard I pray I have the latter! Lemme tell ya. He has a 6-6.30pm feed, asleep by 7, wake to feed at about 2/3am and that's it. He has taken to waking early recently, which I am not enjoying at all. He used to eventually go back to sleep but with the summer sun he is up earlier and staying up, then wanting a nap RIGHT when I need to get up to get DD ready for school, 7am. So he ends up a ratty mess as I keep him up until 9am when we get back from school. So I'm about to black out the room even further, as it is already dark but obviously not dark enough. Full moon recently has him all boogedy too. He is on one of his Wonder Weeks, I swear. He's a clingy, whiny sod at the moment. But he is teething too.

We found "some" relief with Hyland's homeopathic teething pills (dissolve on the tongue). And he has a pain stone on his leg that I taped there. I had the stone, which he chose from a pile, put into a frequency machine so it is made for him, inbued with the frequencies of over 300 different types of pain, and 250 different types of stress. When he isn't wearing it, oh boy, not good. But even when he is wearing it, the few days just before the tooth cuts the gum are still rough. I use white willow bark extract, which is where they get aspirin from. It is gentle enough that it is used in some teething remedies, but works like aspirin. Chamomile tea - a very strong strong brew given in a baby syringe is also a treat as it is milder pain relief than willow but it calms them enough to sleep well.

Anyway, good to hear from you all and welcome Kids!! I stopped checking in on this thread so often but I'll start doing it again as it is moving along a bit again now.

[Sequoia]

Hey Shoegal, how did the wedding go? Did you have a chance to show Baxter the ocean? if so,How did he take it? Taking hunter to WA for a few days in a weeks time for a family do, cant wait to take him to the beach.

Wedding was fantastic! Getting home at 1.00am then feeding 6 hours later was not so fantastic, a wee bit tired! A bit too cold to go swimming at the beach but we are going to the heated pool on Saturday with DH to see if Baxter likes the water. He better since we start infant swim lessons next week!

We are in the midst of Operation Unwrapping. He slept with one arm out last night, and again this morning, but went back to being fully wrapped this afternoon, *sigh*.

Baxter isn't really interested in food yet, so I'm not pushing him into it yet.

Gotta go, boy awake.

SG
xo

[MagicSeahorse]

Well, turned out that the stewed apple was not a good idea after all. We were up half the night with tummy aches, and have been really unfappy today. Had some REALLY explosive nappies, and LOTS of farts. One nappy exploded while we were out shopping. Couldn't get him cleaned up properly till we got home. omg what a mess!!! He has a way of shooting it up his back between his shoulders.... little bugger.

Shoegal: Hunter was wrapped till he was 3 months. Being a premmie..(I'm getting sick of saying that)... it was manditory, as he "hadn't been born yet", and so had to be kept womb like. But he made the decision on his own that he was not going to be wrapped, and don't even think about ever doing it again! I guess Baxter will set his own time. Good luck with that.

Fire: Looks like I've got that first type of baby. He was great at night, now he's a rat! And it's unpredictable as to when he'll want a feed, day or night. Usually 2 hourly during the day, some times hourly ,some times five hourly. I just can't plan anything.

[BabyWrangler]

Woohoo!
Tooth number two has surfaced!!!

[Nettie]

Lisylee - your description of encouraging Hunter to eat was adorable! I can just imagine your smiling face doing 'nummy-nummy' noises

Just a quick update: Liam's nearly crawling. He gets on hands & knees and rocks - then tries to launch himself. He's managed a 'step' every now & then, but is still getting frustrated with it!

Tonight we finally had some success with solids! I baked a sweet potato in the oven wrapped in foil (*****ed holes in it and washed it first), then cut it open & scooped out the good inside bit (left the discoloured outside bit) and mushed it up with a spoon. Then I put small amounts onto my finger - which he gleefully put in his mouth. Once he discovered the taste - he was gobbling it up. That was, until he put my finger too far in and it hurt/was uncomfortable - then he got grumpy, but he was very tired too. However, I am very encouraged Will try again tomorrow - but am hoping the sweet potato doesn't clog him up like it did to another bub I know...

I reckon he's just gone through a wonder week as he was very unsettled and threw his nighttime routine out the window. One night we were still getting him to bed around 11pm! He's beginning to re-establish his day-time naps (was 3 a day, now seems to be heading to 2 a day). However for the last 2 nights he's done his normal routine of going to bed around 8.30 pm and only waking up once during the night. He normally 'wakes' for the day around 6.30 am... I'm ok with this as I get up and spend time with him before heading off to work at 8.30 am.

Personals! :

K.A.L - welcome!!

Shoe - good luck with the swim lessons! I'd love to be doing that with Liam, but I daren't try until I check about his cleft. He might not be able to hold his breath like regular babies... Good luck with operation unwrap too.

Fire - to you... I reckon you've had the most challenging run of all of us... Kudos to you mate! I'm that there's no sensitivities for you.

BW - wow with all those foods! Does he have teeth yet?

Ness - Liam discovered some sposies that I had at the change table station for 'just in case' and looked at them as if to say 'WTF are these???" They probably don't even fit him anymore!! ha ha ha...

Hi to anyone I've forgotten...

[Fire]

Woot BW. Every tooth surfaced is one less agonising week of tears and sleep I reckon.

I bought chamomile extract yesterday, a glycetract (non alcohol) and it seems to work well. Much stronger than even the strongest tea I could make. He is upset most of his awake time at the moment, and very hard to settle for sleeping, and I have noticed a difference with this extract. I'll see if it is coincidence after a few days use.

Yay, Nettie! I think your babe is rather forward; he seems to be the template for what is coming next I've noticed . I can't wait until Shmood is mobile. I find it SO much easier. With DD, we just made our house totally zen so I could free range her without worry and she was totally content and I got things done! We're doing the same with Shminks. I leave most cupboards available, and only lock one with stuff he really can't have yet. I am no fan of the "no" mama. I reduce my need to have to say no to my kids and life is sweeter that way. I'll never understand parents who don't adjust their homes and lives to accomodate kids and end up yelling no all day to them. So yeah, looking right forward to mobility, so give my back a rest. Although I have biceps Arny would covet from constant carrying.

[Butterfly_Princess]

Hey Girls,
Just popping in for one last time, to say goodbye
ATM I have a lil bubba in pain, so Im unable to type it all up again, so you can find my goodbye thread here.
Thank you all for your support.

[MagicSeahorse]

OMG BP!! Good bye??!!
Please don't leave for good!
You will be missed. Take care.
Lisa

[Sequoia]

Bye BP!

Well, Operation Unwrapping was a success!! I am sooo happy! We went from wrapping one arm inside the sleeping bag to Baxter sleeping with both arms outside the sleeping bag! Plus, he slept from 8.00pm til 7.00am!

I do have one question though. I've put him in his cot without the sleeping bag and the cheeky monkey just rolls over onto his tummy, how will he fall asleep? Or do you all have tummy sleepers or constantly roll them back over? He can roll back, but only occasionally. Currently, the sleeping bag keeps him on his back.

SG
xo

[Beatrix]

well i hae no tips for any one

i have a non sleep who wakes at least 3 times a night, carries on, wont sleep wrapped, wont sleep unwrapped, wont slep in sleeping bag... so yeah wont sleep


i am just really tired of her teething crap atm and need a break, oh not to mention feeding every 3hrs so yeah fun

sorry to see you leave BP

[Fire]

Beatrix, I hear ya! Mine has only just gone to four hourly feeds, but some nights still does the three hourly ones. He also used to stay up from one to three hours, EVERY night, usually between 1am and 4am. I had a nervous breakdown, never had one of those before, that was fun. But I believe sleep deprivation helped that along. At that stage though, i was on NO sleep whatsoever, except for a one hour day nap each day. I lived like that for five months. Then teething hit. Just when things were getting good. So I find three hourly feeds a blessing. It's all perspective, eh. A tortured man would find a switch to a migraine instead like heaven, kwim?

Ci does not cope with teething AT ALL. He is a misery guts most of the time, and sleeping is hit and miss. Always poking in his raw sore mouth, poor sod. But I have a couple of remedies that seem to soothe him.

SG, did you ever resend your story? Regarding sleep, my little guy sleeps like CRAP on his back. Only recently has he taken to it at all. He sleeps on his tummy very well, and I believe, if I could have left him on his tummy most of his sleep issues may have been resolved. But his nose got blocked up when he was on his tummy, so I had to sleep him on his side or back after his first wake.

6 years ago I spent ages putting my daughter onto her back every night, like a good little SIDS avoider and she had a bald patch like a good little sids avoider kid. I felt like a total ass for it though, because WHO sleeps in one position (esp the back) all night? Who?! No one. But I made her do it, no wonder no bloody kid sleeps these days.

I also learned that our culture has high sids rates, but other cultures don't, esp cosleeping cultures. One main finding a good researcher has unearthed is that second babies and babies on second hand mattresses died of sids at a significantly higher level. They are saying that second babies often get the same mattress the first one got, hence the statistic of second hand mattress deaths.

The statistic of sids babies found on their tummy is due to the face being in direct contact with the used mattress. This researcher has found a particular bacteria in these mattresses that the babies also had in their systems at the time of their deaths. The rule to "sleep baby on her back" was because sids babies are often found on their tummies, but they didn't know why, they just assumed it was suffocation or something. When a baby dies of sids, it is a death of "unknown" origin. When a baby dies of suffocation, it is suffocation - suffocation is NOT sids. Many parents confuse this.

Sooo, putting all that together, I decided that with a new mattress, I'm sleeping my baby how he obviously prefers to sleep. I notice that now he rolls around, he changes position all night from his side to his tummy, to his back and round again and sleeps SO much better. Some nights I hear him rolling around in there and he sleeps through the night! He still chooses his tummy above all other pozzies though. Like his dad. He sucks his thumb so laying on his tummy is a perfect position with his head to the side for his thumb to rest right there.

Meg, sad to see you go. I read your good bye thread. Not sure what happened but I know how these things can turn... I wish you and your family all the best.

[Beatrix]

So fire.. your little one is sleeping through now??

Well i went out and have just ordered a amber teething necklace.. i really hope it helps.. the next step i might take is to get my aunty (Reiki master) to perform some reiki on her... hmm actually i might get her to do that anyway..

[BabyWrangler]

Shoegal Benjamin was a side sleeper from the start (I actually flat out refused to put him on his back, because I believe (against all SIDS recommendations) that they (particularly Benjamin) run the risk of vomitting in their sleep and choking.
I went to a SIDS seminar as part of work well before i was pregnant, and to be honest, since then, I have held the recommendations in little regard.
BUT thats another story, which you're welcome to message me about but I will not post my opinions on the site.

once he learnt to roll Benjamin manovered himself to his tummy...now, he sleeps (still wrapped mind you) on his tummy, with a dummy...

Sids and kids would hate me, but Benjamin has never had sleeping issues, we get 2x 2-3 hours naps a day, and he sleeps from 6pm til 7am nearly every night (sometimes he wakes at 2am for a feed, but most nights is just a dummy return).

Fire, I agree with you regardig letting them sleep how they like, and also regarding the unknown origin part...whilst there are thousands and thousands of infant (and bear in mind s&k class any unknownly caused death of any child up to the age of 6 as sids), deaths a year, only a very small amount are true "sids"

Anyway, I don;t want to be at fault for leading anyone astray and having something (heaven forbid) happen, so my opinion will remain to myself, however, my boyo sleeps well...against all the recommendations, and I'm happy with that.

[Nettie]

Just a quick update - Liam is crawling. Not constantly and efficiently yet, but crawling nonetheless. If it's short distances, he sort of commando crawls, but for further distances, he puts his head down and kicks with his legs (gonna get carpet burns on his forehead for sure!)... very cute!

He's supposed to be asleep right now, but I can hear him 'singing' and playing in his cot. He's been doing this occasionally. Once he whinges, I'll be in there & get him re-settled. But for now he's happy...

Not much more success with the solids. He only had one taste on Friday and didn't want any more. Even though I didn't want to try sweets before savoury, I'm thinking of getting some apples stewed & trying him on that - just to get the ball rolling.

Uh oh - he's started to whinge... gtg

[Leyla]

Hi Guys,

Wow it has been ages! Hope everyone is going well.

Beatrix and Fire - I totally get you on the sleepless baby thing. Jack is still waking every 2-3 hours sometimes more. I'm just in a total state of fatigue, but I think my body is starting to get used to it now.

On the plus side he has been crawling since just before 6 months and is now VERY mobile, which seems to have made him happier during the day. The only bad bit is all the crawling around the bed at night when he wakes. I've been so tired on occasions that I have not heard him wake and call for me, but now he just crawls over to me and pats my face until I wake up . (we co-sleep with a co-sleeper attached to my side of the bed, so if he is not already right beside me he just crawls there when he feels like it!). Obviously he is sleeping unwrapped now. He has also chosen to sleep on his tummy some of the time. Only problem is he also likes to have his face mushed right into the pillow! Freaks me out, but he is adamant about the whole thing!

BW - good luck with everything, sorry to see you go.

Shoegal - What a good boy baxter is for sleeping so well unwrapped!

Nettie - Yay for Liam!! What a cleaver little commando boy!

Must rush, hope you are all well!