Babies Born May 1st ~ 15th 2009

[amazed]

tatoo_mama: it all sounds great! glad to hear both you and jade are doing well.

tmtm: i hear you on the appetite! i call jonah my little barracuda! sometimes he really likes to go to town, so to speak, and feeds and feeds and feeds. other times, he takes a break.

oscaroscar: so, how did they miss the abscess? it sounds pretty dangerous, besides the hurt and the trouble.

nelly: hope the flu is on its way out.

nelly, tmtm, and roses: thanks for the offer and the advice. you gals are very nice! i do have one of those velcro snugglers and i managed to swaddle him this morning and he slept for three hours! i did too, so i'm happy about that. we co-sleep and during the night he wakes up every hour and a half to two hours these days. i feed him on the side so we both kinda sleep trough it. i don't normally try to swaddle him if he's sleeping with us because i don't want to leave him defenseless in case either of us or a blanket gets too close to the little fella. but in the morning, i swaddled him after dh had gone to work -- took all the blankets off the bed. (i first tried to put him in his crib, swaddled but no dice. he really wanted to be with us). so, we slept, him swaddled, in the bed and that worked.

i gotta think about this. i don't want to put him in his crib but i don't want to swaddle him with both of us in bed, with our pillows etc. dh couldn't sleep without pillows and blankets anyway. and maybe co-sleeping means he wakes up alot since the feeding station is so temptingly close all night

so, do co-sleepers sleep with your baby swaddled?

[Toomanytoomany]

Amazed, I do swaddle him at night and he sort of semi co-sleeps. That is, if I fall asleep while he's feeding, then he stays there til the next feed. I tried not having him swaddled one night and he just didn't sleep. I'm not really concerned as we have blankets, and breastfeeding co-sleepers tend to "shield" their babies anyway, sleeping tummy to tummy and using their arms to protect them from the pillows.

And I'm pretty sure that co-sleeping means they take longer to sleep through, but from a breastfeeding point of view that's not such a bad thing - milk production is at its highest overnight and nighttime stimulation is an important part of maintaining milk supply.

Poor Thomas was hysterical last night. Everything was late, his routine was mucked up, dh had to go out to a meeting and just at his apex of hysterical crying, Clare pooed her pants again!! I don't understand what's going on with her. I had to call dh at his meeting next door and ask him to come home and see to Clare, as if I'd left Tom to cry in the state he was in I think his head would have exploded. I ended up curling up in bed with all three girls and Thomas and we all watched RPA and the kids got grossed out, but it was quiet!!!! Everyone had a late night and now they are all grumpy.

[butterfly*kisses]

Hi Girls,

Sorry I haven't been around! Days are difficult, as Reuben feeds every 2 hours (like a little alarm clock)....and feeds for 1 hour at a time, which only gives me 45 min or so break - to do washing, cleaning, etc! He is sleeping well at night, generally 7pm - 12am then generally wakes around 4am, but last night was 5am! He has a very sharp period of crying between 4.30 - 6.30pm which varies in intensity each day - last night was aweful!

TMTM - I can relate to your dramas last night - my DD (7) also became hysterical (because "everyone hates me") whilst I was trying to deal with Reuben, and DH was out at cricket training. This also happened last Thursday, so I am beginning to think that she is reacting to not getting any 'Mummy time'. It's so damn hard with a baby that just feeds all the time! Maybe little Clare is all out of sorts with the arrival of Thomas. Our DD started wetting the bed after I returned to work after baby #3 (when she had been having dry nights for a long time)......something to consider?

Oscar - Goodness, you have been through the wringer lately, but I am so pleased to get on and see that everything is on the mend now!! Best wishes for a speedy recovery!

Amazed - you are getting great advice on the swaddling front....I swaddle up here in the tropics (carefully so not to overheat), and we occasionally co-sleep (when I am too tired to feed), and I dont swaddle cause its just too hot. Although its quite cool here at the moment - yes, we've got a cold snap too!! - got down to 16 overnight and is predicted to only top 28 today - thats cold for us.....our winter woolies are all out! LOL!

Nelly - (((HUGS))).....hope you are all on the mend!!!!

TM - I am so pleased to hear that you and Jade are getting along well in the MBU! Yay for sleep ar night & self soothing!

I know that I have missed other details, sorry, best wishes to everyone!!

[Pandora]

Oscar has been feeding non stop since 6:30am.
I dont think he is hungry, hes falling alseep on the breast really quickly but waking as soon as I put him down and wont resettle without another snack feed

Some days he sleeps for a litle bit, an hour or so, but usually only if he is in the pram or the car, or on my chest.

DH came home last night and got all grumpy cos hes 'sick of coming home and having to tidy up' -- Im not sure what he expects when Im feeding all day, withonly a quick stop to change a nappy or outfit here or there

[butterfly*kisses]

Rayray - (((HUGS))) - I understand your pain....when you don't get much of a break with bubby, you just have NO time to do anything else! Luckily my DH is home with me, but I feel really aweful asking him "pick up this please, wipe down that please, hang out that wash please, check on the kids please". So, I go crazy in my short time off from Reuben to quickly make the bed, straighten up the lounge room, wipe kitchen benches....etc. Its just such a tender issue, and I really wish your husband will understand. Does he not see what your day entails on the weekends?

[Toomanytoomany]

Butterfly kisses, good to hear from you! Not so good to hear that Reuben is tying you up so much, though! It's so hard juggling the other children and responsibilities. I think I've given up feeling guilty. I'll get done what I get done. They are only tiny for such a short time. I think you are right about Clare acting up, and it's not just because of Tom it's because I'm short tempered also and she is not getting the very best of me, that's for sure! I'm going to try to make more of an effort. She's been drawing all over the furniture too - very unlike her.

Rayray sounds like growth spurt time - even if he isn't feeding a lot, he's stimulating your breast, instinctively knowing that he's going to need more food and that's the best way to go about it. It's jolly tiring though. It's a bit rough of your dh to be snide about the housework - what does he expect?? Don't they realise that we'd *love* to be able to get it all sorted out, if only we had an extra pair of hands or detachable breasts???

I think I've figured something out with Thomas. He was getting very very grumpy over the last week, not just growth spurt stuff - his sleep was even worse, he was fighting at the breast and his happy times were fewer and fewer. We've noticed that he hates lying on his back, and his burps were beginning to really hurt him. His poo also smelt, I dunno, wrong. Really sour.

Dh reminded me that this was when Genna's reflux kicked in (and I didn't realise it and put her on formula thinking I didn't have enough milk) and that she behaved exactly the same way. Knowing that we'd be seeing the doctor on Monday, I decided to buy some infant Gaviscon... what a difference. His feeds have been much better, his sleeps have been heavier with much fewer wakeups and resettles (although he still woke three times for a feed last night) and his happy times have been longer and happier. Today he has been very settled - back to the way he was! So I think I'm pretty confidence he had acid reflux. He sicks up little bits a lot, between feeds rather than straight after, and they are always curdled. Here's hoping we're on the way to better sleep!

[Pandora]

... his sleep was even worse, he was fighting at the breast and his happy times were fewer and fewer. We've noticed that he hates lying on his back, and his burps were beginning to really hurt him. His poo also smelt, I dunno, wrong. Really sour.

Did it smell vinegary? Oscars is at the moment.
GP says its not reflux though, but the same sort of symptoms.

[Toomanytoomany]

Yes, sort of vinegary. What's the docs rationale for it not being reflux? A real giveaway is the dislike of being prone.

[nelly]

TMTM sounds like how Jake was presenting - his paed told me he has Brisbane syndrome (ie Brisbane mothers don't let their babies cry and look for excuses why they are - he wasn't our paed after that) - but my GP recognised it as silent reflux. He had so many troubles burping and bringing his wind up, but never ever spilled or vomited just cried and cried. Being prone was one of his giveaways, the vinegar smell and the feral nappies plus his face and throat were burned by all of the acid. He was put on Losec at 6wks and we finally were able to successfully wean him off it (after numerous attempts) at about 20 months. Sounds like you have been there before but we found positioning feeding, upright after feeds, we were never able to feed lying down as it was too painful for him, and angling his cot and change table etc. You can still breastfeed a reflux baby just need to change your mind set - infant gaviscon helped us a while but tended to constipate him - despite all of the advice the different people gave us we went to 12months.

[Pandora]

TMTM GP said he doesnt scream at feeds, doesnt have red throat so its not reflux. Apparently hse just a happy chucker - but isnt that silent reflux? Im confused.

[roses]

OMG........we were awake from 2am til 6am...mitch just would not sleep and is now asleep on me.....little bugger.
i have given up n the housework. my only thing i try to do is the washing so that we all have some clean clothes. everything else just waits and i couldn't care.
i am getting worried as he only seems to settle eithef on the breast or if he's allowed to sleep on one of us....am i worrying too early? he is only 5 weeks old. just don't want to encourage bad habits....

[nelly]

TMTM GP said he doesnt scream at feeds, doesnt have red throat so its not reflux. Apparently hse just a happy chucker - but isnt that silent reflux? Im confused.

no Jake had silent reflux and it can be quite insidious bcos they don't chuck and cry constantly, at feeds etc and are over stimulated quite easily... we couldn't even go to a shopping centre bcos the noise and lights used to send him crazy. Check out the RISA website (reflux dot org dot au) they have great definitions and advice.

Silent reflux can be very confusing there may be no obvious signs of reflux (such as vomiting) and the child generally isn?t ?silent?. Silent reflux refers to refluxed material that goes up the oesophagus, but isn?t forced out of the mouth. The child may swallow it back down or the stomach contents/stomach acids may not come up the oesophagus far enough to be swallowed. This can be very distressing for the baby and cause problems; and can be even more damaging because it can sit in the oesophagus longer than if the child vomited. Medical intervention may be necessary because the same complications can arise, however it can be harder to recognise without any noticeable vomiting. If they are comfort feeders as well, then poor growth may not be an issue, and they may in fact have huge weight gains. This can also contribute to a delay in diagnosis.

Some people mistakenly believe this term refers to a child who does not cry with their reflux, but this is not the case.

Happy chuckers chuck and are not phased by it - I would call Sophia a bit of a happy chucker ... something I have struggled with after a baby that never chucked! They vomit and spill a bit but it doesn't upset them.

[Pandora]

Oh Ok thanks Nelly. Thats really interesting, I didnt know what silent reflux was at all
I think he is just a happy chucker. Sometimes he will go to sleep on his own, ainly int he night and early morning, but after that I have to get him to sleep for ten minutes, almost exactly, and put him down in the deepest part of his sleep cycle.
Which I dont mind doing at all, but I know when I go back to work and DH is home with him, he is not going to like it one bit

[Pandora]

very quiet.
is anyone there?
Iwent to anaba meeting today which was good

[sryan]

Hi girls,

Well I recognise a lot of you from the pregnancy group. I will have to go back and read all through your posts, to catch up on what has been happening.

It is great to see that things are going well for you all.

Things are going well here. Love being a mother (at last!!!).

She seems to be growing very quickly and time is flying past.

The only problem we have at the moment is nappy rash. I have tried everything. Any secret hints anybody????

Last night we actually got a good night sleep. I fed Lily at 11.30 am, got to bed around 12.15pm and next thing it was 5.30 am and my dh alarm was going off.... though she has been restless during the day and feeding a lot more and not sleeping as well. Is this normal???

xxx Sue xxx

[nelly]

hi Sue - I swear by Desitin from the chemist. HTH xx

[Toomanytoomany]

Sue we use Sudocrem (Clare calls it "soda cream" LOL) and it works better than anything else I've ever used.

Sorry I've been MIA. To be honest, I'm wondering what I'm doing wrong. Thomas was such an easy baby with an easy routine, even if he didn't sleep well at night. Now he only sleeps in my arms during the day, his afternoon sleep has gone to #$^% and I'm really struggling to be a parent to the other kids. I had a bit of a cry this morning - child #6 and I feel completely useless. Can't keep my house clean, can't get my baby to sleep properly, can't look after my other kids.

[Nat :D]

Toomany - My Lord woman, I struggle with the two! Don't be so hard on yourself
I've given up trying to work out Pips routine as such... he just doesn't have one. And now that he has a cold there's just no saying what will happen of an evening.
Sounds like Thomas is a snuggelerl, I say lap it up! Little Pip isn't a snuggley one. He doesn't seem to enjoy cuddling (which kills me!) He's so content in his craddle swing or in the donut pillow. Don't get me wrong, he loves being with us, just not so much being held. He just loves to look at us and smile and speak baby gibberish.
I know I should be really greatfull that he's so content being solo, but I would love it if he would snuggle me just a little bit at least.

Sue - I love Amolin and Bepanthem for nappy rash. Grats on the good nights sleep! Isn't it amazing how we call a 5 hour long sleep a good nights sleep now?!? LOL funny how much life changes after babies right?

As for us, we al have colds - boo hiss. So sad for Phillip coz there just isn't anything you can do for him besides using Fess... which he hates. Can't even use Vix Baby bollsom yet. It's from 3 months onwards! Anyway despite that and the immense lack of sleep, things are going well here.

Little depressed that he's wearing size 00 (or PP 3-6month) already. I can't do up the press studs on any of his 000 rompers. We had him weighed today... A WHOOPING 5.9KGS! He's not chubby at all, I thought he would be underweight by the looks of his skinny little legs, but nope, he's a boofer! 97th percentile - it's madness.