Babies Born March 2007

Hi girls, well I'm pooped! Little miss Grace has not been a happy lady. Everynight since coming home Grace has slept for 4.5 hours, feed, then 3 hours, feed and then it's morning. We felt great. Well....we were in for a shock last night. She fed every 2-3hrs but wouldn't settle in between, she wanted continuous comfort from the breast - feeding for 40min in total once - then she had a rip rorter of a sore tummy which took us an hour to settle! Then she's been really unsettled today, won't sleep unless in our arms. Went to the shops and she cried the whole time. She is so tired, you can see it. She has just fallen asleep in my arms. We've been trying to avoid the dummy for now as we were told it can interfere with b/f but if this continues we'll give it to her if it helps her sleep - poor little thing. After reading about your feeding schedule overnight Savina and Bec I shouldn't complain it was just a real shock to the system 2 weeks later!

Bec, I can't believe you were charged $75 at your own clinic. I hope this new doctor is good. Grace makes lots of weird and cute noises when she is asleep, hopefully it's just a weird and wonderful noise.

Savina I take my hat off to you. I don't know how you find the time to look after your little man AND your other 3 kids!! You are wonder woman!

Karina we are using cloth - we have had one leak onto clothes and that was initially when we were getting used to them - so operator error I think! No problems here (I actually find the sposies strange to put on, lol), just always feel like we are washing, went and got some more as we almost ran out! My DH actually finds folding the nappies therapeutic! I hope your tailbone feels better soon.

My mum, bless her, is trying to be helpful with her advice but she just aint getting it! My mum didn't breastfeed (I wouldn't latch on), no big deal, but she doesn't understand that there are different sucking mechanisms for bottles and breast and that we really want to establish the b/f before introducing regular bottles or dummies etc. She offered to come over tonight and feed Grace so that we could get some sleep, very sweet offer, but unless she can b/f I don't see how that's possible - if we wanted to give bottles right now DH would give her one while I rested. This is what we plan to do after 6 weeks! Sorry for the rant, probably feeling a wee bit touchy as I am buggard!

Going to make dinner now - have a good night girls.

hi, only on for a minute as Ariya is having a fidgetity night, sounds like all our bubs are gearing up for their growth spurts (not fun)

We got Ariya the most beautiful bouncer today from toys are us, it's very pink - this little girl is going to hate pink when she is older :-)

rachel - try not to worry if they will only settle in your arms, I spent many a sleepless night trying to get Xander to sleep alone only to give in and let him sleep on my chest - this time *i just skipped straight to letting her sleep with us. sometimes she sleeps the whole night in the cot and other nights she just needs the extra comfort. We have a mesh bedrail on my side and we put her between the rail and me. Also good luck with the mother issue, we went through the same thing with DS - I still get the "oh no we're not allowed to feed Ariya she's *BF" sort of comments but don't feel bad if you do need to let DH or someone give her a bottle occassionaly to save your sanity, if BF is going well Grace will cope ok with the switch,

Karina - ouch on the sore tail bone! Going to see my chiro next week to get rid of the post birth kinks. Too bad you don't live in Townsville, she is awesome.

Savina - good to hear from you. My DS feed every 2hrs too, hope you get a break soon - know what you mean about not being able to rest during the day - it is so hard!

Bec - hope everything is OK at the appointment. we really have to find a GP too, so hard to find one that bulk bills and is good with kids. And a huge WOOHOO for getting rid of the surfboards - wish I was that lucky, I think I will be anemic by the end of this!

Better run, hope to catch up tomorrow while DS is at kindy

We had a lovely visit with the GP this morning, who said that S is fine, and adorable :D She said we'll keep an eye on him as there is asthma in the family, but his heart, lungs and pulse are all good. So that put my mind at rest! And I've booked him in for his 6 week check there as well. Then I got home and realised I'll need a check then too, so I'll have to call them back to find out if I can go to her too at the same time - would certainly make it easier.

Rachel, you poor thing, I can sympathise with the sleepless night! Sometimes S won't settle either and I end up with him sleeping on my chest or next to me in bed, just so that we can all get some rest! I have to start expressing so that DH can feed him sometimes. Re the cloth nappies, are you using terry squares and folding them or prefolds/fitted etc?

It's a shame when you don't get the support about breastfeeding from your mum - I was breastfed for ages, until I was at least 2, I think, so Mum is very OK with the whole idea!! (Not that I think I'm going to manage two years - I think about 9 months or so will do, since we would like to try and have the next child soon, and I don't want to breastfeed while pregnant... LOL never imagined I'd be planning the next pregnancy so soon!)

Sarah, I'm going to borrow a bouncer from my sister tonight. Hopefully it will help when he gets grizzly and won't settle... sometimes I just want to rest and having to pick him up all the time can be exhausting! BTW my niece had sooo much pink stuff when she was born and now she's six, and guess what her favourite colour is?!! STILL!

Savina, I agree with the others, you're amazing bringing up 4 children at once! Do your older children help you out?

Karina, my parents are in love with their grandson too - it's sweet to see! Even my parents-in-law, who are the most un-parentlike people, can't wait to meet him - they'll be coming over when he's about 3 months old.

Completely off topic, but while I was trying to write out the forms at the doctor's today (squirming cranky baby was making it quite hard!) I was thinking, why didn't we give our son a shorter name? I write "S" most of the time on here because it's a hassle to write LOL and the surname is three syllables long too... ugh. The next baby is going to have a one-syllable name, I think!

Savina: - Yep Im with the rest of the girls and agree your amazing. Mother of the Year I think even a bravery award.. hahaha

Rachel: - Doesnt matter about having to cuddle bubs so much, they need the cuddles and attention. I dont think it will affect them in the long term. We just cant resist giving them extra attention, they are still so young. Hopefully your mum will understand they way you feel, nothing like having your mum disappointed when you dont accept an offer of help, I know my mum gets a bit disappointed.

Bec: - Yay for your appt that is fantastic that S is doing well.

Karina: - Hoping your tailbone gets better. My mum and MIl are the same, dont want to leave, they are in ore of this little man.

We have a Fisher & Price Papasan which vibrates and plays music, i put Kaiden in that for about 30 minutes just to get him out of the bassinet i also put him on his playmat, not that he plays he just sleeps on his stomach on that.

I cant wait for Kaiden to do the 6-8 hr sleeps, this 3-4 hrs is starting to get to me and I am pretty tired today, i am still in my PJ's and havent even switched the main tv on, i have been in my room the whole day, had breakfast & lunch in bed.. hehehe.. HOW BAD AM I!!!.. Will go for a walk when DH gets home the weather is awesome today in Perth, nice and cool.. Some rain finally.

Oh K is waking up .. ready for his next feed, right on the dot, its amazing how they wake up ready for their feed. My right boob is about to explode.

.

Love Sonia.

Rachel, hope you manage to get a bit of rest today. How cute that your hubby finds folding nappies therapeutic! i wish I could get my hubby to fold stuff lol! We also have to cuddle Claire to sleep sometimes. I just sit on the couch with her on my tummy and cuddle her to sleep. We also play her music and she seems to settle well to that most of the time. We got the CD from Target. Its called Sounds for Silence and also includes a book about settling. I havent even opened the book yet though.

Bec, argh about being charged so much to see your doc. I have a great GP, he bulk bills and is also an Ob - i'd tell you his details though its not particularly helpful since he is on the other end of the country. I hope this new Doctor of yours is good. Its hard to find a good one that bulk bills and is good with the kiddies. Yay that your appointment went well and all is good with Sebastian. I am going to do both of our 6 weeks appointments at the same time - I am just going to ask if I can have two appointments in a row so I have enough time with the doctor, if that makes sense? lol @ the long names. We have an unusual surname. Its welsh and not difficult to spell (its two words put together),but I am still forever spelling it and my first name.

Sarah, lol about the pink! I didnt buy a single pink item, but I have been given so much pink! About co-sleeping, dumb question that people probably ask all the time, but do you ever worry about rolling over and squashing Ariya? Thats something I am worried about when I bring Claire into our bed. Not so much me squashing her, but more DH because he sleeps through anything.

Sonia, ikwym about them waking up on the dot for their feeds. We have a 1:20am on the dot feed every night - Yay! Looking forward to when she doesnt need so many feeds through the night.

Well i got around to applying for the baby bonus. geez it took me a while to figure it out. Now I am not that dumb, but I just found the website confusing! Mummy brain, perhaps? We also recieved a bunch of money which DH's colleagues collected, and we are going to get another pram! The one we have weighs about 15kg and its so massive and I have so much trouble getting it in and out of the car. I am worried about injuring my back, and that is something I really dont need right now!

Sarah funny you mention about the growth spurts - i think claire is going through one. She feels so heavy now and I constantly have a boob out for her. I am going to go to the baby health centre and weigh her tomorrow.

Our Parents group starts next week. Is anyone else going to a parents group? I am hoping to bring DH along to some of the meetings while he is on school holidays. Get us both out of the house!

hope everyone is getting some rest!

Oh what a day, Ariya is def in the midst of a growth spurt we have been feeding almost comstantly today and she has been awake for a total of about 6hrs today (although she has been very good, just grizzly and uncomfy when she is trying to sleep.

Bec - glad your appointment went well. Second you on the name thing. we gave DS two middle names after his granddad (who passed away the month he was concieved) and so when we had a name dilema with Ariya decided it was probably fairer that they both had two, but *i am now a little annoyed as we have to spell Ariya and Temperance and our last name as it is easily mispelt.

Sonia - sounds like you had a good relaxing day. Well as much as you can with a newborn.

Karina - I do worry about DH rolling over which is why Ariya only ever sleeps between me and the rail, now we also have a special night pillow which creates a barrier too and surprisingly DH is quite aware of her being in the bed even when I put her in during the night. We are going to some of the breastfeeding assos meeting but haven't heard about any parents groups yet. Hoping to meet some people at the newborn clinc at the hospital.

really have to book are paed appoint and my ob appoint. Does anyone elses bubba get like the shivers? Ariya's whole body twitches sometimes and *i don't remember DS doing that. She used to do it in the womb as well.

Gotta run, study to do.

Hello ladies, well so relieved, Grace has gone back to her usual pattern of 4hours sleep at a time overnight....I think she must have been having a growth spurt that day, either that or she wanted to increase my milk supply cause wow, they're even bigger again!

Mum came around yesterday afternoon and then stayed for dinner. She bathed Grace last night which she was pretty chuffed about - Grace didn't like her bath though but that and a feed and then she slept and slept. We woke her after 4 hours but then it took another 25 minutes to actually wake her so she'll feed! I think she wore herself out in the day - it was also pretty hot here yesterday.

Sarah - Grace sometimes gets the twitches, usually when she is asleep. You must be wonderwoman also - raising a newborn, a son & studying! Wow!

Bec - glad your appointment went well. We are using flanalette nappies with newborn snibs at the moment, they are less bulky than the terry squares. No problems here, just lots of washing. When we get the baby bonus we are going to buy a clothes dryer otherwise winter will be a nightmare with drying times. My brother in law's name is Sebastian and we call him Seb - much shorter.

Sonia - that will be my real challenge when DH goes back to work in a week. At the moment because both of us are here we have no issues with getting in a shower etc. I'm a wee bit nervous about him going back to work, especially overnight. Because he isn't working at the moment he gets up and changes her nappy then I feed, makes it much easier when both of you are up, when he goes back to work will not expect him to do this as he starts at 7am to 5pm for 2 shifts, then he is on 2 nightshifts, so he won't be home anyway. Another challenge to add to all the new challenges of motherhood - great and exciting challenges though, even if they are tiring! Glad you are having some cooler weather.

Karina - I will have to look for that CD, we need something. WE were trying to find a book of nursery rhymes as DH and I realised we really don't know any! How bad is that. Found a website instead. Your parents group starts so soon, I don't think ours starts until at least 6-8 weeks, will find out at health nurse appointment on Monday.

Have a good day, have to go play with my daughter now.

Sarah, no I havent seen Claire have the shivers. She just startles herself heaps and sneezes often. her sneezes are so cute!

Rachel, Grace is so cute! Oh dear.. i never thought of nursery rhymes. I cant say i actually know any either. DH makes up his own, but I am not as creative as he is.

Went to the Baby health centre today, but for some reason it was closed.. even though it was within the times that it is meant to be open. So not sure what that is all about. I wanted to weigh her. She feels enormous now! I also went to the post office and people are still asking if Claire is a boy or girl. I think she looks too dainty to be a boy.
Does anyone else get asked by random people if theirs is a boy or girl?

Ok, this is going to sound a bit b!tchy... but is anyone else over other peoples "well meaning advice"? I am so over being told I should do this and not do that. I just want to make my own decisions as to how to care for my daughter and myself. I mean, i appreciate people want to help, but I just feel so smothered! ok maybe its just me wanting to be too independant. ?

Karina: - I think Kaiden looks like a real boy so nobody has asked me in the shops if he is a boy or girl. Plus I have put him in blue when I go out. I agree with the advice, sometimes I just wish people would keep their mouths shut, although i do appreciate some advice, othertimes I want to make up my own mind and decisions. I find my family put alot of pressure on me with the breastfeeding, my Nonna and Zia's ask me straight up.. so you breast feeding how is the feeding going.. ALl i say is fine all good dont go into the fact I have to use a shield etc.. cant be bothered with it all really.

Rachel: - It wont take long for you to get into a routine, it will be hard to start with because you are used to hvae DH help but after a week you will be on top of it.

Sarah: - No shivers for Kaiden, he throws his ups up still like a startled movement, nurse said he should be out of that soon though.

I dont start my mothers group till May, I just missed out on this one and have to wait for the next one.. :-( Oh well.. I guess i will be with mums that have bubs around the same age so that is good. I hope the girls are nice in my group..

Natty had her baby YAY.!!!

Well Im going ok, I have changed my breast feeding position to the couch now, I get up out of bed and go into the lounge room, its alot more comfy in the big chair and i my back is more suppported, DH gets more sleep this way to, Kaiden seems to be feeding better and going to sleep alot quicker. He is still waking up every 3 hours. I think he is also going through a growth spurt because he is feeding more and awake a bit more too in the mornings. So alert now and holding his head up really well.. Lastnight he was making all these cute noises in his sleep, I like when he makes noises because i know he is ok. I freak out a bit when he is so quiet.

I wonder if Catherine has had her baby yet??

Karina that is weird that the health centre wasn't open- annoying and inconvenient for you also. I think Grace looks like a real girly girl and haven't really been asked except once from a woman who must have been stupid as Grace was dressed in pink and wrapped in a pink wrap - boy? I think not! I haven't had too much well meaning advice thank goodness - it would probably tick me off. My mum has given some advice which we have smiled and said thank you but....one was about feeding with a bottle and the other was about using a dummy.

Sonia glad you found a better position to breastfeed in. I change my position all the time except overnight where I feed in the nursery on our rocking chair with only the hall light on, try to keep it feeling like night as much as possible, in the daytime I feed wherever I land and she wants it! Usually on the couch. I find feeding in bed uncomfortable on my back unless I put a massive pile of pillows behind me. I know what you mean about the noises, they are definitely reassuring and very cute too. Grace pulls the funniest faces as well, she is just adorable to watch!

I wonder if Catherine has had her baby also.

Grace was so tired and irritable yesterday afternoon and evening. It was 37 degrees here yesterday, the hottest day we have had since she was born. She was feeding 2 hourly (obviously thirsty), then wouldn't settle as she was so hot and bothered. We went to my parents house for tea and she cried and cried, we had to completely undress her and give her another feed then DH had her nestled on his chest and that was the only way she would sleep and not cry. She really needed to sleep as the poor thing was exhausted so unfortunately for everyone there, there was no cuddles last night. My parents had friends over and I know they were disappointed but I could see how tired she was and I thought if she doesn't get some decent sleep now because she is being passed around, we are going to be up all night trying to settle our poor exhausted little girl. Thank goodness she slept so well overnight which meant so did we (as I was exhausted from the heat too) and has slept well this morning as well - DH and I actually had alone day time together as this is the first time she has slept in her cot in the day. It was nice to have some time together. It's going to be cooler for the next couple of days so she should be more settled.

Hope everyone else had a good day and night.

Rachel, kwym about having some time together alone - we managed to have dinner together last night for the first time in ages (I mean, we eat together normally, but this time I fed Sebastian and he was sleeping by the time we ate). We could actually have an adult conversation!

You poor things with the hot weather, it has been nicer here and we're really appreciating it. Can't wait for it to get to proper autumn though.

Sonia I often feed on the couch as well, I can put pillows and cushions all around me and it makes it easier. With it being so warm I have still been sleeping downstairs most nights so I don't disturb DH but when it cools down I'll be upstairs again so I'll have to work something out. My family wants to give me a rocking chair for my birthday, I just have to find one I like, I think it will make it easier to feed S in the chair rather than on the bed which I find kind of awkward. I understand not wanting to go into details with your rellies about the feeding, he's getting food and that's the main thing, right?!

Karina, S is quite chunky but we often get asked if he's a boy or girl. I don't really mind at this stage - I kwym about the advice, unless it's my mum or my sister or the Child Health Nurse or someone, I would just like them to say nice things about my baby :D and leave the raising of my child to me!! I generally smile and nod and think, "well, never going to do that!" Like for example one of DH's workmates told him that we had better get S on a dummy soon, or he won't take to it. And I was thinking, well, how is that a bad thing?!! If he doesn't need one... you know? Oh, and I agree about the website for the baby bonus, it made me really mad because I think it's worded stupidly, and also, you have to wonder about some of the information they need to have, don't you?! We applied almost three weeks ago - if I don't hear anything from them by the end of this week I might give them a call to find out how long it will take.

My left nipple is so sore - I had a good look after I got out of the shower yesterday and can't see any cracks but I'm going to try and express from it and feed from the other one mostly to give it a break. Also because I wanted to start expressing some milk to freeze so that I can have a bit of a break sometimes.

Had a bad day Friday, was just so tired and it took me from about 8 am to midday to do the washing up - and there was hardly anything to wash! S just wouldn't settle, had wind and I had to go to him about every five minutes... got to the stage where I was starting to cry whenever he did :( Anyway DH came home from work and we had lunch, then I went to bed for an hour while he played with S and kept him happy, and it made such a difference! Not having enough sleep just makes me cranky, I guess.

Well, off to the shops for a few things before they shut!

Sonia, i hope your family stop pressuring you on breast feeding. You are feeding him, so it shouldnt matter to them so much if you need to use a shield. If you need to use it, you need to use it! I also like it when Claire makes noises while she is sleeping > when she is really quiet I find that I keep going in to make sure she is ok. I hope Kaiden starts sleeping more so you get more rest. Thats good you now have a more comfy position to feed . I've been feeding Claire in bed lying down (because my butt still hurts and its mighty uncomfortable!!!), I think I wake DH up when I do though. Just cant get comfy in the chair!

Rachel, lol that someone asked if Grace was boy when she was in all pink. I think we have also done the smile and thanks thing to some advice we didnt like. Argh about the hot day yesterday - it was hot here too and we had to go out and vote. Luckily it wasnt too crowded so we didnt have to stand in there with a screaming baby for too long. Good to hear Grace slept well last night. I'm sure your parents would have understood that she would settle better with you or your DH rather than being passed around all night.

Sasha, ikwym about the advice. I was told "you need to get her a dummy" and I thought, "well no she can settle quite easily without it for now" if I find I need it later I'll get one. Then I got told that I shouldnt be doing what the physio suggested because it will make things worse. And that every time Claire stirs or makes a noise, that I need to pick her up and cuddle her. So, she moves around when she sleeps - if I keep picking her up every 2 minutes, she wont sleep properly. and then I was told that my hospital isnt as good as the country ones because no one from there came to see me after I went home. eh, I dont know. lol I'm glad I am not the only person who got confused with the baby bonus wesbite. 3 weeks? The person in the family assistance office told me it should take 2 weeks to recieve the payment. I had a very sore nipple the other day and I put some vaseline on it. Feels so much better now. Bit of sleep always makes me feel so much better.

We went out to a friends place and they had a port-a-cot so we had Claire sleeping in that, but then they put on a REALLY loud DVD. (one of those iteractive games : think Nightmare. I think I could hear up in the next suburb) and she just wouldnt settle after that. I really wanted to go home, but I knew DH would get annoyed so we stayed and I fed her constantly while reading trashy gossip mags. Then it started raining and it was so cold. I think that upset her too because she felt a bit cold. I feel so bad sometimes when I cant work out what she wants.

Oh, Karina I know what you mean - I hate it when I can't work out what Grace wants, and then feel terrible that I didn't figure it out sooner when I do work it out. When we were in hospital we were given good advice on how to work out what a crying baby wants. It's usually one of 5 things - hungary, dirty nappy, hot/cold, wind/sore tummy, or just lonely and wants cuddles. So we usually work through the first 4 and if that doesn't solve it then we give cuddles and comfort - it generally works eventually. Also get to know their cries and can often work out what is wrong then. The worst is when she is just overtired and she doesn't know what to do with herself - I feel so useless because I can't comfort her. My mum was fine, I apologised the next day about no cuddles and she told me off for apologising saying she understands and I never have to apologise (she could have made that more obvious at the time rather than continuously asking for cuddles).

Bec I hope you have had a better time with Sebastian recently, it is so hard when they are unsettled isn't it.

have a good day.

Hi Everyone! I'm finally joining this room! Right so the story of how my little one arrived:

I went to hospital to be induced on Wednesday 21st. Had an internal and I was still not dialated at all so they applied the gels.
I managed 2hrs sleep before the contractions started about 12.45am. At 7.30am they did another internal and I had only dialated 1cm and there were no membranes for them to break! Bubs was also slightly posterier and my god it hurt!
By 11am I was only about 2cm and not coping too well so I called for an epidural. That was a nightmare! I had a trainee doing it and I was the first one she had ever done (they didn't bother to ask me if it was ok first). After 4 locals, several holes in my back and many screams from me as she kept hitting the bone it was finally in...off to sleep for an hour.
Next internal and the epidural was working well as I was now 6cm. I tried to negotiate some food but it didn't work - so I watched some telly for a bit more.
By 5.45pm I was fully dialated and ready to push! This is interesting when you can't really feel anything from the boobs down! I had to have an episiotomy.
At 6.26pm TJ was born weighing in at 6lb 5oz!

Today my feet are so swollen that I can hardly walk, my back is still a bit sore from the epidural, my boobs are like rocks as my milk has just arrived - I can't lie down the pain is too much!

Bubs is just amazing! She is the best sucker (which is why my nipples are killing me!) and a really settled baby! I'm totally in love - can't help but kiss her all the time! I've updated my website with all the pics so feel free to have a look!

Hope everyone else is well!!!

xoxoxoxoxo

Wow, Nat, sounds like you had a bit of hard time but glad Taia arrived OK in the end! I totally know what you mean about being in love :) Hope your milk settles down for you soon, though, those rock-boobs are not comfortable, are they?!

Sebastian was much better yesterday and has generally been really good today. Both M and I have a sore throat, I'm hoping it's because I snored last night (not that I really want to be snoring, but the alternative is a cold, which I'm not keen on!). S has also been sneezing a lot more than usual, so perhaps that's why he's been so tetchy lately? Will stock up on the Vitamin C tonight and hopefully get a good night's sleep. M took S away downstairs this morning from about 5 am and I slept in till about 8... bliss to have a few hours' extra sleep! He also appears to be settling into a very loose routine, where he'll sleep from around 7 or 8pm until 10:30-11, and then through until 2ish, which is really good.

Hope everyone had a great weekend! I'm off to cook dinner, not sure what we're going to have yet!

Sonia- i had a laugh when u said i needed mother of the year bravery award. i think i need an insane award im crazy for wanting 4 kids its tough but ill get the hang of it eventually and to top it off i live with the in laws so i am crazy well at least going crazy,,,were saving to build on our land.

thankyou everyone for your kind words about being a hard sahm to 4 kids its tuff but i love my kids ....
anyway Taylen is being a little testing at the atm he is not settiling and is really giving me a test i feed him, burp him and check his nappy when he cries i putr hgim down in his baby swing or lay him down in his bed and he cries like his in real pain i pick him up and he stops anyone else get this???????? his getting very spoilt so hard not to but really wat do u do just wants me to pick him up,,,,,
i hope all the babies are doin well

Natty welcome! Congrats on the birth of Taia. OMG at your epidural experience. I think i'd be screaming too! Taia is so cute! Hope your boobs stop hurting so much.

Sasha, sounds great about the sleep in. I always try to sleep when Claire is asleep too. Hope you havent caught a cold.

Savina, i hope Taylen settles down for you. Claire cries like she is in pain and only settles when we pick her up, but not very often (mainly at 2 am she does this!!!) I find it takes a feeed, a play and a cuddle then she will settle. I think sometimes she is just over stimulated and tired and doesnt know what to do. I hate leaving her for ages when she is crying!

Hi all *march mummies, have visitors at the moment, in fact for the rest of the week - no doubt will need to vent come the weekend. Ariya is being very fussy tonight and either is feeding very quickly or isn't eating well at the moment, hard to figure out.

Found the best thing for night feeds at *toys are us called a nurse and glow, it's a pillow with a nightlight in it. We have been trying the sidelying position but Ariya is still learning to perfect it so it makes it hard. I think I probably disturb Dh a little feeding during the night, just by moving around. the first few nights he would sit up in bed still asleep while i was feeding - it was hilarious.

So far the only person to think Ariya was a boy was a midwife at the hospital and she was looking at Ariyas chart saying he and little boy and then she's gone - oh it's a girl then continued to call her a he. really peeved Dh off.

Gotto go catch some sleep *i am so tired today and it is only going to get worse with another 2 kids descending upon us soon( SIL and kids) hope everyones bubba are well

Natty - well done on the birth of your little girl - woohoo another march girl, hope your boobs settle soon.

Oh anyone elses bubba growing out of newborns nappies? Did i read the other day you can take unopened boxes back to the shops? Do you need a receipt?

Anyone heard from Brooke or Catherine?

Nat, congratulations. You poor thing putting up with that from your epidural - I couldn't stand it (bad experience with a lumbar puncture has made me fear needles in the back). I hope your swelling and aches ease soon. The hard boobs do ease, although rather uncomfortable to begin with. Taia is just gorgeous. I know what you mean about being madly in love - it is amazing isn't it?

Bec, I hope you manage to fight off that cold. Yay for the extra sleep. Grace has been really unsettled overnight and today and I was so tired this afternoon, DH took care of Grace while I slept - I felt great afterwards, unfortunately dinner plans went out the window as it was so late, so we were naughty and got pizza. Our second take away meal since we came home, not bad I think.

Savina, Grace has been the same the last 24 hours or so, really screaming unless she is picked up.She is really seeking comfort, I don't want to form any bad habits but i can't leave her to scream. She just gets so tired that she doesn't know what to do with herself.

Hope everyone has a good night, fingers crossed we have a better night too - we were up for 2 hours overnight trying to settle our little girl. Sleep well.

HMMM - I did just write a long reply - but for some reason it didnt post :(
So i'm going to quickly write a short one so i can go back to sleep :)

Congrats Natty on ur labour-

izzy is doing great - mummies perfect little angel (most of the time hehe) she weighs 4kgs now!!! And is already 9 days old, where does the time go!

We've had a few moments where i felt like i had no idea what i was doing, izzy screaming and i couldn't work out why, turned out she needed big burb, poo, and heaps of cuddles of mum and nana to settle! I'm so thankful i staying with my mum atm, she'z being a great help!

As for me - i'm doing okay, still a bit sore and tender but improving... 've lost all my preg weight which i think is great, and can fit back into my fav. trusty pair of jeans! Emotionally i'm doing great,ive had a few moments, but for the most part i'm just sooo inlove and happy its wonderful...

Hope everyone and bubs are doing well!

Luv Cass an Izzy

Photo's of izzy :)

http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m300/Cass_blob/

Oh photos are great Cass..

I have to set my freewebs webiste up stil need to upload photos.

Well girls im glad everyone else is in the same boat, I am so tired, Kaiden is feeding more and more and im exhausted. I feel like 2hrs sleep is going so quickly. I am letting him cry for a little bit before i get up, i feel bad, but i just cant seem to get my head of the pillow. Feeling very emotional today thank god i dont have anything on and just going to stay home in my pjs all day. Weather is cooler today which makes me alot happier im sweating so much in the heat. I go back to the nurse on Thursday cant wait to check his weight and height and see how he going, still need to book in to OB and Paed.. Must do that today.

Oh one good thing that happened on the weekend, I no longer need to use the shield. VERY HAPPY in deed!!!

WEll better go sooooo tired.

Thinking of you all.

Love Sonia.

Sarah, lol about the silly midwife thinking Ariya was a boy. I hope your visitors dont drive you crazy. We are still using newborn nappies. I found the Woolworths brand newborn nappies are much larger than Huggies. We use Huggies. I have also heard you can return unopened boxes of nappies.. I'd assume you'd need a recipt but I am really not sure.

Rachel, hope Grace settles better tonight.

Cass, great to hear you are doing well! Izzy is so beautiful.

Sonia, i do the same - letting Claire cry for a bit. I am hoping DH will get up and get her lol!!! but it usually doesnt happen. YAY on not needing to use a shield any more!

I weighed Claire the other day and she is now 3.17kg, so she put on 170g in about a week. I definately think she is much longer now too. Does anyone elses bub get hiccups everytime you feed? She gets them about 30 minutes after I finish each feed, then I have to get her up and feed her again to stop the hiccups!

How much water is everyone dinking each day? I feel like i am always drinking water, but I still always feel dyhydrated. Any one else?

hey karina

drinking about 1 ltr each day,,, and not going to the toilet so obviously still dehydrated and should drink more. Kaiden gets the hiccups about 10 minutes after i put him down after most feeds and i too have to get him back up and give him taps on the back and belly rubs.

Sometimes Kaiden only feeds for about 10 minutes on each boob and thats about it, is everyone else the same?? how long roughly are your little one feeding for?

Kaiden has also lots of the Milias (newborn acne) i hope it goes away soon.. its on his cheeks..

Sonia thanks. I find that Claire only have short feeds sometimes too, especially at night but that might be because I have less milk at night. Claire has those pimply things too, but only a couple near her nose and one on the side of her head. I didnt know what they were!

I wonder how Shell went the other day. Anyone heard from her??

I also was wondering about Brooke and Catherine. Havent heard from either in a little while.

Cass, great photo's. Izzy is gorgeous. Glad you are feeling great. Yay on losing all pregnancy weight, that must be exciting.

Sonia I hope Kaiden settles for you soon. Yay on not needing the shield anymore. Hope you get some good sleep soon. Feed length varies anywhere from 15 minutes to 40 minutes. Sometimes she takes the second breast, sometimes she doesn't. Lots of wet nappies though. We are now starting to use sposies overnight as she is just drowning the cloth nappies and she HATES a wet nappy, boy does she crack it! lol! Like her mum I've been told!

Karina, Grace gets hiccups most feeds but usually falls asleep with them (while we are cuddling of course). My mum said when I used to get the hiccups it stopped me from vomiting, well Grace usually gets them after she has vomitted! I am drinking heaps of water and always feel like I need more. Feel like I don't go to the toilet much but I think I go normal amount (urine not dark or anything), but compared with what it was like when I was pregnant it feels like not going much!

Brooke is probably so busy with 2 little ones that she hasn't had time to get on the net. I'd love to hear how they have all gone though.

Well, we went to visit the community nurse today and Grace was weighed and measured etc - she has gained another 390g in 1 week - little piggy! She is now 4.030kg (she was 3.5kg at birth). She has grown a little bit too. Also found that she has a slight positional talipes of her right foot that we need to massage out everyday so that it fixes itself. Apparently caused by the position she was in me. The nurse said not a concern just need to get onto it now - it's easily fixed but if not treated she will have a limp when she is older! Now that it has been pointed out I can't believe we didn't notice it! Like anything though, it's only subtle but once you know..... So she is growing amazingly well, no concerns with my milk supply here, lol! All developmental stuff as it should be. We got the enrolement forms for preschool today - apparently we have to put our enrolement preferences in now!! It asks for year of enrolement - I have no idea, is preschool the year before school? So would that be when she is 4 or 5 (don't know the rules for starting school, doesn't it depend on when you were born in the year?). That was the last thing I had on my mind now. Had a fantastic night last night. Fed at 7.30pm then unsettled period, gave bath at 8.30pm - went to sleep then woke at 2am! So glad we went to bed at 10pm, that extra sleep certainly helped. Then she fed at 5.30 then 9.20. So excellant night. Hope everyone else has a good night.

Hi girls I am going to join you all properly a little later but I just wanted to pop in and say the midwives at my hospi recommended drinking 3 litres of water per day when b/feeding (any kind of fluid, doesnt have to be all water). So get drinking girls! I know I have failed every day so far, but am still trying...

cass- i have the same nappy bag as u except in aqua, but its fallen apart it wasnt that expensive and the bassinet is the same but just a diff print taylen loves it well half the time anyway thats were he sleeps , izzy is reall cute

karina- i feel constantly thirsty which is rare for me i can easily scull down drinks which iv never been able 2 to do i think its all in that were breastfeeding

Rachel- taylen was 4.030 kg at birth and he only lost 200gm after birth , when the nurse come out he was 9 lbs 2ozs at 5 days old so id love to c wat he ways now hes a little porka
when i get the chance im going to weigh him at the chemist just to see;

im still feeding him snacks like every 2 hrs duiring the day we manage to get 4 hrs sometimes straigght of a nite , im considering giving him formula as well to see if this helps does anyone know if this is ok??????? as im constantly feeding him this makes it really hard when u have other kids

sonia- taylen has those pimple things on his face as well , its gone from me to him

Jessica, glad to hear you are home. Hope all is well with you and little Tate. How is Aiden coping with his new brother? 3 litres of fluid! Is there enough time in the day to go to the fridge that often! lol! Looking forward to hearing all the details of your stay in casey and how everything went when you get a spare minute.

Savina, 2 hourly feeds you poor thing. How exhausting, especially with the other kids. I don't see there being a problem with giving formula as well, are you thinking that he wants more than you are making? ANother option, although a pain, could be to express some milk and give that in a bottle, that way he is still getting your milk but because you are giving it in a bottle you know how much he has had so maybe he will stay satisfied longer? Just a suggestion, but I know giving a combination is not a problem as that is what women do who have an inadequate supply. Hope you work something out.

WE had a horrid night last night, Grace was very unsettled after her feeds and when she did finally fall asleep she would wake up again soon later for another feed because she was taking os long to fall asleep, every 3 hours she fed! Which doesn't sound so bad but when you are trying to settle for 2 of those hours it leaves little time for sleep! Hoping for a better one tonight!

Hi Everyone! We've just finished a big feed and TJ is down for a good sleep now! My boobs are still hard but the pain is easing - same with the stitches.

Had a better night last night - a few explosions in the nappy and a few feeds...but after that she went back to sleep pretty quickly! Thank god!

Mum goes back to Tassie tomorrow. So it will be a bit scary to be by myself but I'm sure it will be ok!

Might go have a rest now! Hope everyone is well. Can't wait to hear from Shell!

Rachel, thats great that Grace is putting on weight and all the developmental stuff is going as it should. Wow @ already having the forms for kinder. That is not really something I had thought about so soon! I think kinder here is the first year of school so a few years off for us. In NSW you can start school at 4.5 years. Probably differnt in VIC though!

Jessica, thanks for the water information. Gosh, i definately dont drink 3 litres a day!! thats heaps. Hope you are well.

Savina, not sure on giving formula as well as breast milk. I cant see how it would be a bad thing though? I've been thinking of expressing breast milk and using it sometimes.

Natty, hope your boobs and stiches feel better soon. I'm sure you'll do great after your mum goes back home. TBH I felt so much more comfortable on my own with Claire than I did when family were staying over. Bellybelly is a wealth of info too.

well little miss sounds like she is about to wake up and ask to be fed. She does these cluster feeds every hour sometimes. I suppose its good because it means my breast dont have time to fill up so much and go super hard! Claire was very unsettled yesterday. We'd settle her, then put her in her cot and 10 minutes later she'd be cryin, and this went on for about an hour and a half. Finally at about 10pm she was a sleeping, then didnt wake again till about 2am, so I got about 4 hrs of sleep in.

Hope everyone is getting a little bit of time to rest.

Hi Everyone

Wowo 3ltrs goodness me, Im lucky to get my one ltr.. Dont have time to drink so much..

Kaiden has been very unsettled lastnight and today he is grunting and groaning and trying to get wind out, he has pooed and farted all day but it still seems to linger.. I dont know if its something I am eating that is affecting it and not going away. I put him on his belly at 3am and he stopped grunting and groaning for while but i dont want to leave him on his belly, i wont be able to sleep knowing something might happen to him on his belly with SIDS.

Kaiden has gone from 3hr feeds to 2hr feeds.. Ahhhhh I cant wait till it goes up to 5hrs.. I really need some sleep, getting tired and grumpy.

Can anyone help as to how to relieve wind, i cant use the Infacol drops yet until he is 4 weeks.

I booked the OB, GP & Paed so all done.. I cant wait to go the health nurse this week, few questions to ask her.

Can i ask if anyone has done the deed with their Partners????? I am contemplating it, but a bit scared.

Also, anyone elses wrists, neck and back hurting from the feeding, carrying burping etc??..

Sonia, my upper back is so stiff and sore, I feel like a taught rubber band and i'm in real need of a firm massage to losen everything up. I think it's the feeding that does it and probably carrying her around all the time. To your other question, yep, DH and I did the deed a couple of days ago, I thought I would be nervous but it was very spontaneous and I didn't even think about possible pain, I didn't have any perineal damage so I suppose that helps. There was no pain what so ever, I think I was more scared about using protection properly because I in no way whatsoever want to get pregnant again anytime soon (at least a year, at least!). Don't be scared, if DH is gentle (as I'm sure he would be), hopefully there will be no problem. I have to say that it was FANTASTIC, no belly in the way, yay!!! Don't know about the wind, we just keep Grace upright for a while and it seems to come out eventually. Grace has done the same thing with her feeds and she has been feeding pretty much 2 hourly today and yesterday afternoon. Very frustrating. All I feel like I do is feed and feed and feed!

Karina, I hadn't thought about kinder either! Haven't even thought about childcare which I thought would be the first big thing we would have to contemplate! There must be something in the air for unsettled babies at the moment!

Nat, glad you're doing well. I'm sure you will sort yourself out nicely once your mum is gone. I'm in the same boat as DH goes back to work on Friday so it will just be me and Grace, a wee bit nervous but I'm sure we'll get there (have to!!lol!!).

Had another unsettled afternoon but finally found a dummy that Grace will take (cheap old tommee tippee) and she has been a wee bit more settled this evening thank goodness, just hope it stays like that overnight. Had a nap this afternoon just in case, plus I was exhausted after last night. Hope everyone has a great night, get lots of sleep.

Goodness me you gals can chat! trying to balance bf ariya and type at the same time so excuse the typo's. Sounds like all our bubbas are doing the same thing with the unsettledness - we coslept last night and scored 5 hours from 2am-7am but that was the only way she would settleOff to clinc tomorrow to weigh my piggy she was 4kg at birth (8lb10) and was back at birth weight last week so it will be interesting to see what she is at now. She has been feeding pretty frequently today and wanting lots of booby time which is hard when Xanny is going full speed and DH is back at work. Have to keep reminding myself that if *i just let her feed now she will boost my supply quicker and settle down again.

Oh another trick *i learnt with DS is to put them to the same breast if they come off and want more as it boosts your hindmilk which makes them feel fuller. *you can also give them the same breast for the second feed. We have a feeding basket with cloth nappies, water bottles etc as *i always need a drink when bf and it's the only time i get to sit :-)

Sonia - ariya is the same, we put her down on her tummy on her lambswool during the day to sleep which helps, Try *brauer colic relief *i think it;s from birth. at night try settling him on your chest and then transfer him to cot on his side.

Jess - good to see you here, can't wait to hear more details.

Rachel - hope the foot corrects itslef well, as for preschool we start prep (first year of formal school) the year they turn 5 (must be 5 before june 30th -otherwise wait until next year)

Savina - know what you mean about having trouble feeding with other kids around. I am now an expert at feeding standing up :-) I don't think bottl;es will hurt whatever you need to keep your sanity. Some BM is better than none.

Sonia, when I was in hospital Claire had some shocking wind and cried all night. The midwife told me it is helpful to tilt them so their head is higher than their feet. Easy to do with those plastic box cot things they use in hospital.. maybe not so easy with a cot or bassinet though? But it did help her get some good burps and farts out on her own without me having to hold her there all the time, kwim? OMG No WAY on DTD just yet for me. The thought freaks me out - I think my stiches havent fully healed yet and I am worried about breaking them open. My back does get a bit stiff and sore, esp after a long feed.

Rachel, yay on fining a good dummy! Hope you can get yourself a nice back massage. I think I need one too. I put my name on a few childcare waiting lists while I was pregnant, and I've rang them all back to tell them Claire's DOB etc. I am hoping for a spot by about Sept, but i dont see it happening!

Not sur what is going on tonight with Claire. She just doesnt settle for very long. I might be in for a long long tonight i think!

Hi girls! Sounds like all our bubs are big feeders, keeping us busy.

A little about me and Tate, I had a quick labour (5&1/2 hours), he is a big boy (9pounds4ounces at birth), am breastfeeding, and he has a big brother, Aidan. B/feeding is sooooo hard, but soooo worth it. Yesterday Tate was feeding and I just burst into tears with the pain (my nipples are damaged from the inital days of constant sucking, and every time he latches on they dont have a chance to heal). I am now expressing day feeds, I have an abundant supply of milk (expressed 125ml from ONE BOOB!). They feel like they are getting better. Last night was OK, fed at 7pm, slept till about 1-2am (cant for the life of me remember the time), unsettled until 3:30am, woke for next feed at 6:30am and back to sleep now, unfortunately I am too awake to go back to sleep now like he has! I am not a big fan of dummies but I do think they are a help at this early stage, just to settle to sleep. I will try and use it as little as possible. Tate is a hungry hippo during the day, feeding every 2-3hrs which I didnt expect, but if it means long stints at night, I'm not complaining. The first few days I honestly felt like he was dranining me of all my energy, but am defenietly getting better.

Look forward to getting to know you all and your gorgeous bubbas!

You guys have been busy! I'm so tired - S is feeding so often. Sometimes every 1.5 hours, but from the sounds of it everyone else is having the same thing, so perhaps he's just going through a growth spurt. Had a pretty restless day yesterday where he wouldn't sleep for AGES, very windy. I'm going to start eliminating some stuff from my diet and start eating more mild foods, not that I've been eating loads of chilli or anything, but I did have a curry recently. It may make no difference at all but at least if I try then I know it's not that!

Was going to write more but it looks like he may finally be getting off to sleep so I'm going to see if I can get some zzzz's as well. Catch you all later...

Good afternoon ladies...
Sarah, you did well with your typing. I am starting to learn the art of bf and typing too as it seems to be the only time I have to sit and be on the computer. I always let Grace come off the breast, burp her, put her back on and then when she comes off again I burp her and offer her the second breast. I was advised to always offer the second breast. Everyone seems to have their own advice and opinions but this seems to be working for us. I drink the most when I am bfing, I get SO thirsty. Sarah I think we are the same with prep so I am assuming then that kindergarten/preschool will be when she is turning 4 in the March? It feels like ages away but I am sure it will absolutely fly by before we are crying as our little ones go off into the big wide world!

Karina you were so organised with your childcare. We kept talking about looking at some but just never got there. Will have to look soon I suppose. I hope your night wasn't as bad as you were anticipating.

Jessica, wow for a fast labour. I hope your nipples start to feel better soon. Those first few days were definitely the worst for pain. The midwifes told me after a feed to express a little bit of milk and rub it on the nipple and then let it air dry for a few minutes before putting bra back on. It seemed to help and I haven't had any sores or blisters or cracking. WOW, 125ml from one boob. Can I ask how long you are expressing for? ARe you using a manual machine or electric? I have an avent isis which says that I shouldn't express for more than 5 minutes at a time on each boob so I was doing 5 on one then on the other then back again. I felt like if I could just keep going I could have gotten heaps more milk out but wasn't sure of the reasons as to why only 5 minutes. I don't really like expressing but really want to start doing it again so that DH can do some of the feeds too. We hadn't needed a dummy until recently as Grace had always settled really well with some cuddles. But just recently she has been rather unsettled, the dummy seems to be helping and thankfully (i know it's only after one day) but she didn't need it to get to sleep last night, it was only used in the day and evening and once she is really asleep we can pull it out and she not wake. We were worried that we would be up every 15 minutes having to put her dummy back in if she lost it. Touch wood but so far so good. We also have the avent ones but she just doesn't like them - the teats are too flat I think. The tommee tippee ones have a cherry teat, so something for them to grab onto. Glad you're feeling better. Looking forward to getting to know you too, and living so close will be good too once we are both sorted.

Sasha, you poor thing, every 1.5hrs would kill me!! Hope the diet thing works. The midwives told me to be careful with green vegetables as they can make babies very gassy - I don't know if you eat a lot of greens but thought I'd pass that on. Hope you managed to get some sleep when sebastian did.

Well, we had a much better night last night. fed at 10pm, 2.30am, 6am and then 9.30am. Feeling much better today. As I said, didnt' need the the dummy overnight. She is due for a feed now but was rather unsettled this morning and only just fell asleep an hour ago. Don't know whether to wake her or not or leave her go to 4 hours? She looks so peaceful. We are going out for dinner tonight so hopefully she will be settled for that. Gave her a bath this morning to help settle her - she still HATES her baths, screams until she is purple in the face all the way through, but she seems to really like it afterwards as she is quite happy to lie there naked and be massaged which helps with having to massage out her foot. I found out that if the foot didn't get fixed she would be pigeon toed, not a limp. Either way I don't want either so hopefully it will correct itself with us massaging it daily. Decided I'm staying away from the shopping centre for a while. she never settles when we go and I think it is just too much stimulus for her at the moment. Was gorgeous this morning. DH was in the kitchen wandering around and we were on the couch about 4 metres away and Grace was watching DH very intensly, she would follow him around. Was amazing as we didn't think she could see that far away yet. Because we have the bright red on the cornices and architraves in the nursery she is always looking around the room and at the roof - has resulted in her having a VERY strong neck which is good. The nurse the other day was amazed at how well she could hold her head up. Must go and organise some lunch now. Hope everyone has a good day.

hi all..
looks like everyone is doing well which is great,
i weighed taylen today he weighs almost 5 kgs he was 4.03 kgs at birth so he as put on a heap his doing well it must be all his snacks well he is really restless now must go
savina

Savina, that is a great weigh gain, very impressive!

Rachel, yes it was fast, but also VERY intense! The girl I shared a room with arrived at the same time (about 3:10am), and delivered at 3:30am. So the midwives at Casey must have been happy with 2 'easy' labours! I have never heard of the '5minute' rule? Stuff that I say! I express as though Tate would be drinking, but it just takes me 1/4 of the time to get the milk out with the pump (btw, a manual Avent, same as yours I think). So because I am only feeding Tate on one side (and topping up with the other if he wants it), my boobs are that full. So after all that rambling, I can tell you that it takes me about 10mins to get that much! I did the expressing after a feed but they still came out REALLY sore. I have some Lansisoh (?) which is helping and I b/f before when we were out and I can honestly say it was a good experience, so we are getting somewhere! I can also tell now when the boob is empty, whereas a few days ago after a feed my boobs would still feel rock hard. I do believe that b/feeding is very hard but with ALOT of hard work, pain (for some), and persistence it gets easier every day (eventually!). I would consider becoming a bit of an advocate for it, a young(ish), person that real women can relate to. My thoughts on the hopspital, in summary, I can say it was OK/good, I def noticed the low water temperature, my midwife was good but not 'there', I was disappointed I had to share a room but it was busy, was pretty peeved when they told me I couldn't have visitors (besides DH) after Tate was born, because I was sharing a room. I refused to follow that rule, I would never turn my parents or DH's Mum or ESPECIALLY my DS away from their new grandchild/brother. Overall it was 'fine'. Ooh Tate crying, back later!