Babies Born August 2007 #6

[Mollygirl]

Yeah, I take Ella into the toilet sometimes, or leave her in the lounge room but only if DS not home so he can't hurt her (accidently).

With AF, I got it at 10 mths with DS so disappointed I got it last month with Ella but it was so short and light. Enjoy not having it while you can!

Scone, Myles was about 2.5 when Ella arrived which was quite good, but as he got closer to 3 things got easier, especially once he was toilet trained. Congrats on Jensen's weight. You must be relieved.

Kim - good luck for April.

I think Ella is finally getting a tooth, it is really red and she has red cheeks. Will keep you posted.

Is it bad if they have wheat now? Ella has vegemite toast and quite likes it.

I love hearing about what the other bubs are getting up to. The only cute thing Ella does at the moment is growl, everyone finds it a bit off putting, sounds like she is possessed. It is a real animal sound.

Have a great weekend all.

[Campari]

I've been quietly lurking around - not alot to report, except rotten sleepless nights I think (hope) its the top teeth coming down....

Molly - I love the growling too. Milla does the exact same thing. She isn't much of a talker, like we don't get the ma-mas or ba-bas, just real throaty growls, or squeals. I think Milla is more of an active sporty type than a linguist!!! She is already standing on all the furniture and taking steps to reach the remote if its further along the couch (her fave toy)

Ali- did you get the house you applied for? Sounds great, so I hope you did. I hope moving wont be too disruptive for the girls... are they good sleepers ATM? I am obsessed with sleep...!

Scone - did you get your work stuff sorted out? How many days are you working now? I have been "negotiating" with my boss too... its a bit daunting. And is Jensen walking now as predicted my the nurse???!! He sounds pretty similar to Milla - she doesn't go between pieces of furniture yet either. Milla is also pretty happy playing by herself if I get her started, but if she is tired or hungry, or has just woken up, then I need to be down on the floor being more interactive with her. I cant leave her while I hang out the washing cause I've been very slack with baby-proofing and she would just eat everything like books, powerpoints and dvd-players... I need to move more stuff. She's not in to her toys either - the remote, our phone, and books are her preffered things lately. I have a photo of her sitting on the floor "reading" the dictionary. Very cute.

I am at my wits end about her BFs. She is being a horror. Days are OK now, after a period where she wasn't interested. She was down to just one feed at night at around 3am, which was great. But lately she has been waking at 10pm and screaming the house down. She wont settle for DH, and even if I give her cuddles she isn't happy until she gets a BF. Same thing happening at 12 or 1am. I am trying to cut back the night feeds, or rather trying to get her to settle to sleep without a feed. I'm sure she can't be hungry, if she is eating chicken and vegies for dinner, and then having a decent breastfeed before bed at 7pm. I guess she is a bit addicted to the boob... Any suggestions anyone? I've tried giving her water from her sippy cup at night, which she drinks, but she still wont go back to sleep despite being desperately tired. I am at my wits end and am contemplating a bottle of formula at bed time so I know that she can't possibly be hungry?? Have any of you BF mums done that? Or do you think I should just use EBM?

I would so love a big all-night sleep. I neeeeed it so bad!

[alioops]

nounfortunately we didn't gett he house, looking at another on saturday morning. MIL will take the girls for the day while we move.

[Mollygirl]

ALI - sorry to hear about the house, fingers crossed for the one on Saturday.

Campari - nice to see you are back! I feel exactly the way you do about the night feeds! I am in the same boat, feeding at 8pm, 11pm, 3am currently, no matter what is eaten or bf during the day it seems. Poor DH on Tuesday night, I went out for dinner with Mother's group and fed her at 6pm, left at 6.30pm, then she woke at 8pm, screamed for 45 minutes and then sat up with DH until I got home at 10pm, had a bf and went straight to sleep. I am going to Matchbox 20 concert next Thursday and he is preparing for the screaming again. He can't seem to settle her and I can't settle her without a bf.

I spoke to the Nurse about it on Wednesday, and she said that she must be having lots of little drinks during the day and night, (feeding 6-7 times in 24hrs) but probably only equates to 3-4 full feeds. I am finding that DD best feeds are during the night. during the day she has so much to do, not much time for a long feed before she is distracted.

My main concern is that I go back to work on May 1, and whilst yesterday I managed to get DD to only bf on waking, a little at lunch and before bed (I need my body to get used to only a few feeds whilst I am at work all day 3 days pw) so she ate alot during the day, she really had big feeds during the night still and I am going to be so tired going back to work!!!

Unfortunately I don't have any suggestions. This coincided with Ella getting her first tooth, FINALLY! So I don't know if it will settle down, but my gf in BNE is having the same with her DS who is only 5 days younger than Ella.

To be honest, my DS didn't sleep during the night until he weaned himself at 10mths and went onto a cup of formula before bed - if you want to try that don't be hard on yourself because it may be the best thing for you and your DD. My DH said as he left for work this morning that I should try and get Ella to drink formula in a cup more so he can feed her. I'm a bit lazy but also I like bf and don't want it to stop altogether, so am willing to keep going at least until I go back to work.

I think you would have to be consistent and not give in to bf (before bed) for at least 3 days to see if it would work which could involve a lot of crying. But if you have got to that point and a prepared to do that, then go for it.

I think that you could try EBM, at least you would know how much she was getting, and if that didn't work, go for formula in the cup/bottle, that is if you have the energy for expressing. I think formula fills them up a bit more.

Sorry for the long post - goodluck and let me know what you decide/try. Having read this, I think I will talk to DH about him giving Ella cup of formula if she wakes during the night, over the Anzac Day long weekend and see how that goes. Then he won't be too tired for work the next day.

[Campari]

Thanks for your huge reply Mollygirl! I think Ella and Milla are reading the same "how to annoy my parents the most" book ! Our nights sound very similar indeedy.

I ended up buying sachets of formula to try before bed. I will try to express some for future top-ups, as you said, that way I know how much she is drinking, but am a bit too exhausted to express ATM. I want to continue BF as long as possible (til she is at least 18 months or so, ideally)... but wont beat myself up about a little formula now that she has been exclusively BF for all this time. Am thinking maybe my supply has dropped a little.. will have to work on that as well with some fenugreek etc. Anyway. She refused a bottle, which is to be expected since she hasn't been offered one for a few months. Tried the sippy cup, but she refused that as well (despite loving it during the day when all it has in it is water!) So, she survived on just boobies again, and it wasnt TOO bad. I dreamfed her at 10, then she slept til 2.20, and needed a feed, then til 5:00, and I just bring her in to our bed then, and she fed again. With the leftover formula I just added it to her breakfast this morning.... Its awful, cause I hate the thought that she is hungry, but like Ella, Milla rarely has a good feed during the day. I am sure she would have self-weaned already if I hadn't been so persistent in trying to feed her - like going to a dark, quiet room, bouncing her on the swiss ball while feeding her, and singing! If I were to let her solely demand feed, I think she would just feed at night, and maybe once at midday or so.

I weighed her yesterday too, and she has only put on 100g in four weeks, so she is 7.55kg. I know its normal for them to slow down a bit, but I dont want her to get too skinny! She's loving all her solids, so I guess I will just have to fatten her up that way... But its catch 22, cause the more solids they get, the less BM they want, and then she'll want her BM quota at night!

It must be hard for you to be worrying about going back to work in May already I have to go back part-time in August, and already am wondering what to do re. feeds. I have to get in to expressing, I just really suck at it (pardon the pun!)....

When your DS weaned himself at 10 months, did you give him formula in a sippy cup all through the day, or just at bedtime? Did he just keep refusing the boob, or did he cut back gradually? I can see Milla self weaning off day feeds, but still wanting night feeds... crazy little nocturnal monkey that she is.

well, she is asleep at the moment, and so is DH.... I might make me a cup of tea and sit outside on the deck and relax a bit... then get stuck in to some cleaning ... urghhh. Got visitors this arvo.

Hello to everyone else, and hope you are all getting more sleep than me and Mollygirl!!

Rhi x

[kungfubecca]

Hi all just dropping in to say hi,

Don't seem to have much time on my hands latley.

Hope all are well,

Bye

[Mollygirl]

Everyone - how many sleeps are your babies having now? I have noticed Ella is doing: gets up 6am, bed 7.30am-9am, bed 12noon - 2pm and bedtime 6pm. Any suggestions on getting her to stay up later????


Rhi - you are right, they are both reading the same book. Ella loves water in the sippy cup but turns her nose up at formula. I told DH he should be the one to try that more.

Sorry to everyone else not interested in BF information.

Because I am going back to work, I actually don't mind that Ella is feeding more at night now, I have been giving her more solids during the day and she is just have a little suck at lunchtime, so that my body isn't used to feeding much during the day and now she is having her 3-4 a day with 2 -3 bf at night. Some nights it is not too bad, when I go back to sleep straight away (sometimes I lay awake for 2 hours) but DH is worried how I will cope being at work and being tired. We'll have to wait and see. Given that I will be tired I may not have much milk and she might wean, unfortunately. Ella is putting on about 500g in 6 weeks, so not much either but then she spends all day crawling and standing and is way too busy to bf. The nurse wasn't worried.

To answer your questions:
When your DS weaned himself at 10 months, did you give him formula in a sippy cup all through the day, or just at bedtime? Did he just keep refusing the boob, or did he cut back gradually?

I had been back at work 5-6 hours a day (just missing one feed) for 3-4 months when he weaned and my days had been getting longer and he had been drinking formula from a sippy cup a little during the day (they don't drink as much as bf) and on the day he weaned it was a sudden thing. He fed at 4pm when I got home from work then at 6pm he wouldn't feed again (or anytime after) and kept crying and wouldn't have a bf. Eventually I worked out he was hungry so gave him ff in a cup and he slept through the night from then on! So it was a sudden thing and I got mastitis even though I expressed. I got AF for the first time at the same time so I thought the taste might have changed or something???

You are doing a great job, and have given her a great start and even though it is sad when they wean, it also brings a sense of freedom (for me anyway). I am still hoping to get to 12months but will take each day as it comes.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!