Babies Born April 2008 #3

[Butterfly_Princess]

Im back, Im back, Im back!!!
Sorry, i went mia for a while, couldnt keep up with all the posts and DD wasnt sleeping much during the night, so just gave up for a little while..
Soo..whats news?? (I know i can go read the millions of posts ive missed but atm i have limited online so cant really..)
Isabell is doing wonderfully..she is now sleeping nights and days..its AWESOME..although there is a period between about 3pm-9pm that she is determined to stay up, but thats nothing on the 6am-9pm i had before..and as long as i dont push sleep on her during this time frame she will be a happy chatty smiley baby..which is just the way i love her apart from 3pm-9pm is usually the time i like to have dinner, watch my tv shows and catch up on intranet..but hey isabell and i can watch my shows together, and im sure i could have a big lunch while DP is here to get me til 9pm when i can have dinner. And the rest can wait til 9pm...(i could have dinner but if i put her down she will feel like im trying to get her to sleep, even if i put her in her rocker in the kitchen so she can see and hear me..) and once she is asleep i usually have a 5-7 hour sleep gap
I love going into her room and having her smile up at me..its amazing!!
Me..i went to docs for mine and DDs 6w check up..and it turned into a appt just for me because do cfound some fungus that started growing on me while my immune system was down and my hormones were raging and he also told me my mole is most likely cancerous so next thursday i have to go back for isabells 6w checkup, get my mole cut out..and have my pap (which i dont really want to have, thinking of not getting it done and having it next time, seems a aweful lot to be doing next thursday any way..)

[Fire]

Meg, and others that have wakeful babies, what do you do with them at those times? DS only has short wake times but I'm stumped as to how to keep him from crying/whingeing about it. So the 5pm - 7pm wake is a nightmare of having to carry and bounce him (he hates the sling at that time) and figure out what he wants when he won't sleep but doesn't seem happy awake after about half an hour. he just wants dh to walk and carry him over his shoulder and distract him.

[Fire]

Nettie, how'd you go with the US?

Meg, so happy for you! you sound perky and cool bananas.

[Butterfly_Princess]

Fire During her short wake times, ill talk to her and give her some tummy time once a day..once she starts yawning though she is straight into bed. In the long period where she is awake, ill talk to her, watch TV with her (ill sit her on my lap to face the tv and ill hold her little hands, she loves the news), listen to music, show her DP's beautiful photography that he has up around the house, and im thinking maybe ill take her for a drive or a walk see if that will maybe make her a bit tired or drowsy.. she does get very unsettled towards the end but i think thats more coz i kept trying to put her down when obviously she doesnt want to (even though she is falling asleep on me and yawning every 10seconds lol)

[MagicSeahorse]

Hi Girls.
I'm not very good at personals, so please forgive me. I simply don't have the attention span.
Thanks for the welcome.
I'm feeling kinda lonely today. It's the first day we've had completely on our own, and well, I don't really know what to do.
Hunter hasn't got into a routine yet, so I don't know if he will be asleep for 4 hours or 1. So I cant really start any thing, hobbie wise. He has been waking at 2 hour intervals the last 2 night, and I'm stuffed!
Our story is this:
I had had blood pressure probs since early in my preg, that gradually got worse. then at 31 weeks I had a Ob appt, and she took a blood test. First thing the next morning, she called me saying " Get into hospital RIGHT NOW!!!". So in we went. later that after noon Hunter was delivered via emergency C-section. I had apparently developed HELLP Syndrome, which comes on very suddenly. It's a type of Pre-eclampsia. But causes organ failure. My liver and kidneys had shut down, and I hadn't known about it.
Hunter would have been very happy to stay there till his due date (thats tomorrow by the way!), but my body would have killed him and prob me with him. So, no he wasn't in a hurry, but I was.
Well we are both happy and healthy now. Hunter has doubled his birthweight. He has just hit the 3kg mark. Has grown 5 cm in length, his head cerumference is upby 8cm. and he has put on 600gm since leaving hospital. thats twice what they expected!
So there we are. And here we are. 8 1/2 weeks later. Wow.

No hope for a sleeping routine yet? Oh bother! So tired.
Can't sleep during the day.


Lisa

[Fire]

Holy carp, Bea, I'm SO sorry to hear that. That must be so tough on you, the timing. Have you got real life support?

Taurusa, Ci puts on half a kilo a week. It's perfectly fine. I worried too though, thinking I'd have a heffa. They get fat until about six months and then they gain really slowly. Some, like ours, put it on straight away and it tapers off a bit earlier. I was shocked, too, with his two kilo gain in his first month!

Those wanting to keep AF away, there's a book called "Natural Child Spacing" that lists the six or seven "rules" for keeping it away for as long as you choose. Frequent night feeds, no pacification (ie, dummy), daytime nap/feed every day are some of them. Apparently, prolactin keeps ovulation away, and prolactin has a half hour half life, and it is produced by sucking stimulation. So frequency is the key, plus those other things I mentioned. Sounds like hard work, but I'm already doing it anyway, I hope AF stays gone for the year. Big ask though.

Nettie, I just borrowed a great book from the library called Mother Food. It is written by a woman who had low milk supply and how she got it increased. It's really interesting, and there's some things in there I wouldn't think of, also stuff on creating amazing milk. I have good supply, and I've learned it may be due to my regular diet, which is grain rich and herbal and spice rich also.

Lisa, that's rough. I hate that lost feeling. Maybe he'll start to stretch his sleep now that his body has caught up with his due date. I've heard premmies do that, do their stages from their due date, not their birth date.

I've just added a whack load of coconut to my diet. Coconut is a miracle food at the best of times but I learned that it is great for milk, as it gives the milk a high oleic oil content etc. So in my morning porridge, I put half a cup of coconut milk with my spices and berries YUM.

Well, Ci often sleeps the first night sleep cycle, 7pm to 10pm, but sometimes he decides to spend that cycle awake. This is DH's time with him, while I sleep WITH EARPLUGS but I still feel bad when he does that. Although DH doesn't seem to mind. He's better at settling than me.

[kirsty_lee]

Well, checking in for today. And what a BLOODY long day. Ava's not slept at all today, I did take her to visit my mum so I think she was just a bit restless being somewhere new and having so much noise etc going on. So she's only just gone to sleep now. On top of this my cesar scar has opened up recently and got infected, i've got the flu AND today my doctor informs me that my eardrum is infected so now im on anti biotics. *sigh* Ava-Jayde had her 6 week check up. She's now 4.14 kilo and she was 4 kilo exactly last week. She's grown 3 cms in length and 4 cm in head circum since birth and the doctor was amazed at what a happy baby she was whilst getting poked and prodded and having her clothes taken off, she didnt cry once. So hopefully that means in 2 weeks time when she has her needles she'll be good too. Hope we're all well.. Hugs to you beatrix xoxox

[Sequoia]

Frequent night feeds

My OB told me this as well, so not really worried when I have to get up during the night if it keeps AF away!

[mgm]

beatrix i'm very sorry to hear your news. hope you're managing OK and have lots of support from family and friends.

shoegal and fire - my son was an all-night feeder and i didn't get af for over a year after having him, so there's definitely something in the theory that regular feeding (or 'on demand' both day and night) keeps it away.

all right, must try to get dd to sleep now...

[sarah_dobbo2]

Afternoon all,

WEll everything going great with kids for once. Have changed Wyatts clothes over from 0000 to 000. Only have to buy a few going out outfits and another pack on bodysuits which I uses for singlets.

DH is COMING HOME 2NIGHT.

It will be lateish, but I will let kids stay up and see him. I can't wait, god I have missed that man, regardless of his smell socks, and LOUD snoring. This has been the longest we have been apart from one other in 7 years. The second longest when I had Wyatt.

Well I better go just thought I would yell is out to someone.

Cheers

[Sharon19270]

Vixstar welcome, I look forward to getting to know you.
BabyWrangler yay on Benjamin back to BF again. Thanks for the offer to msg you if I need to talk, I may take you up on that offer if I start feeling stressed and overwhelmed.
alittlegrubi that is quite a few pgncy that didn't go to plan, in most situations I try and hope for the best, but PLAN for the worst lol
Nettie I really don't think you can make them sleep longer at night if they aren't ready, I have noticed that Oliver is having a little bit less every few days of his feed at the 2am feed so I am thinking that he is getting to the point where he doesn't really need it, I also usually get up to him when he is just grizzling so think I may actually wait and see if it turns into full on crying before I get up and give him bottle. How did U/S go today?
Fire hope you are feeling better after your anxiety episode the yesterday.
Meg nice to see you back, Oliver usually sleeps really well during the day and night, just has his unsettled period (although not every day) between 5-7pm, I am lucky that my DH has been cooking dinner for us all lately, I feel quite spoiled.
sarah I usually get really excited when DH comes home after a long business trip, a few years ago he was working over in the Solomon Islands and he would usually be gone for 4 weeks at a time, then home for 5 days then back over there again for another 4 weeks, I don't know how people go being married to someone in the armed services.

DH had a job interview yesterday, but the only thing is, is that we would have to move up to Proserpine QLD if he does get it, I would love to move up north but would miss my BF so much, DH said that he could commute, ie, fly up Monday morning then fly back Friday night, but I think I would miss him too much and would think it would be even more stressful for me that way, than if I had to say goodbye to my friends. It will be a tough decision if he gets offered the job, he has to make it to the second round of interviews first though.

I have decided to try Oliver on the mixture to thicken his formula, instead of the pre-made stuff as I think it is just too thick and it is making him tired to have to suck so hard once it starts to cool, the food thickener says to use 2 scoops per 100ml, he is on 150ml so I will just use the 2 scoops for now and see if it is any easier for him and if it stops him falling asleep while only half way through his bottle all the time.

Sorry for the long posts everyone, just can't help myself sometimes and just keep on jabbering on

[kirsty_lee]

CHecking in for today. Been a great day today, Ava-Jayde is over her growth spurt which has had her awake and crabby and feeding constantly for the past 2 days. She's back to her sleeping for 3-4 hours and waking for a feed. She was only awake today for about an hour or so. Unfortunately AF has come back now so im dealing with cramps, so bloody annoying. Hope you's are all well!!

[mgm]

Hi all

sharon - leaving your BF could be tough, especially when you have kids and really need your support structures. do you know people in proserpine?

sarah - all the best for your reunion with DH! and well done for managing without him. i would be a frazzled mess after just one evening without my DH at home.

mummymeg - sorry to hear about your medical troubles. it's hard enough looking after a new baby, let alone having health issues... hope you're free of them soon.

fire hope you're feeling better. did you see the LC today?

DD had her 2 month checkup today (a week early) and has gained over 650g in under 3 weeks, so she's doing well. the green poo saga continues but only during the day - nighttime ones are normal. weird. in any case she's thriving and doesn't seem to have tummy troubles.

have managed to make a banana cake today (in stages - measured out ingredients at various times in the day, then mixed them this afternoon). actually i shouldn't say i've made it yet since it's still in the oven (i might forget about it and discover it burnt to a crisp later!) but it feels like an achievement.

[kirsty_lee]

Ohhh MGM Im so jealous! I looooove banana cake!!

[BabyWrangler]

Hi all,
well...Sharon, have you tried a faster teat for Oliver? That might help.
Not sure what thickener you are using, but we have been using the Kariecare thickener for Benjamin's EBM, its 1 scoop per 100ml, and I think it thickens more in his tummy, it does make the EBM a little thicker to look at, but he never seems to have trouble getting it out of the bottle, or getting drowsy with it.
I've found though now that he's back BFing, the only time he tends to chuck majorly is after the Zantac...the rest of the time theres the odd spit up, which I class as normal (the ones that basically just dribble out and look like bird poo...without the black bits of course!).
The past 2 days BJ has mucked around with his arvo sleep (typically its been at about 2:30 after his feed), and not fallen asleep until about 4pm...very frustrating cause he then has to be woken at 6 for a feed and medi, and then when he gets tired at bedtime (which keeps getting earlier, now at 7pm), he sleeps for about an hour, then wakes, and won't re-settle until after his 10pm feed! I know its not cause he's hungry at that time cause yesterday I tried feeding him from me, and some EBM and he wouldn't take either!!

Oh well...off to wake for a feed and medi!

[Nettie]

Just a quickie as DS is grizzling...

U/S went ok. Didn't have to have the internal component and the girl reckons everything looks fine (no product, etc). Will see the Dr on Tuesday to find out what it all means!

Kirsty - you give me hope for us! Liam seems to be having a growth spurt at the moment - awake HEAPS, almost only cat-napping through the day and eating LOTS. My EBM isn't keeping up (especially as we were away from home yesterday and I missed about 6 hrs between expressing). However, I've come to peace with the fact if I don't have enough milk, he can have formula. I'll do my best as see where that gets us. I'm pretty proud of 6 weeks of expressing anyway. Will try now for 8 weeks - little steps! I'm hoping this unsettled time finishes soon. He's been like it for about 3 days now! Some feeds are only 1-2 hours apart and he's having up to 100 mls a feed! Some feeds are only 60 mls, but mostly around 70 - 80. Heck! No wonder I'm not keeping up!

I am so sick of doing dishes (bottles, expressing cups, etc)... I'm not sick of nappies, washing clothes or feeding etc. but am so over doing the washing up! My hands are so dry!

Anyway - enough of a whinge from me... DH & I are going to watch a DVD together while Liam's feeding/playing/sleeping whatever!