Babies Born May 2007

[Sair]

Tan, if you have a thermometer stick it under Isabelles underarm and if she is between 36 and 37c you have her the correct temp, apparently testing to feel if hands and feet are cold is outdated as babies have poor circulation to start with. You are better off having her too cool and crying to tell you so than overheating her. Over 37 is bad..

[LuluHB]

I'm so thrilled for Tess. Its going to be a very scary journey for her but I've got everything crossed she's holding a beautiful baby in her arms at the end of it.

Tan - I'm using my grobags with Isabelle already. We've had some really cold nights here and I was worried she wasn't warm enough so she's in a Bonds all in one, then in her 2.5 grobag, then I swaddle her arms (I don't worry about wrapping her legs up though) in muslin or flannel depending on the weather, then put her in her cradle with anywhere between one weave blanket and 2 weaves and 2 woollens, depending on the night. The grobags are great when you have to feed in the early hours - she stays nice and warm and doesn't stir too much.

Sarah - I did the co sleeping a bit at the very beginning. Izzy just wasn't settling and I was so exhausted that I brought her into bed with me so she would at least settle and get some sleep herself. I ended up dozing off and it worked so well we did it for about a week. Not something I want to do all the time but hey, if it gets you and Noah some sleep then I say go for it.

Kelly - yay for the successful shopping adventure. Its quite daunting isn't it. I've been out a few times with Isabelle now and so far have made sure I go out just after a feed and get home when one's due. Haven't been brave enough to tackle the whole changing, feeding, settling in public yet.

Lee - you poor chicken. Tuna bake without the tuna would have been interesting though!! I hope you get some sleep soon.

Dan - good luck with the move. I don't envy you at all but at least doing Olivia's room is something to look forward to.

Danni - I hope Mason is a bit more settled today and you're getting some sleep.

Kristen - I'm jealous of your schedule. I tried waking Izzy for feeds during the day to get some sort of routine happening but it just ended up with her waking for feeds every 2 hours - day and night. Not what I had planned!

Hi to Sez, Heather, Jan and Mel (Sorry if I've missed anyone!)

How is everyone getting their bubs to sleep? Isabelle is pretty good at night - she doesn't usually wake and basically feeds back to sleep but day time is a completely different story. I've just started trying letting her cry (before I was always picking her up and letting her fall asleep on me before putting her back down), but still being there patting her tummy and rocking the cradle but it breaks my heart hearing her cry. Anybody got a better solution?

[Danni]

tan: i have no idea about grobags! someone mentioned them to me, so i dunno! Mason spends half his sleeping time trying to escape his wraps, so im trying a different tactic.

Ok, we have the heater at 19 over night as well. Mason sleeps in a singlet, long arms/long legs/enclosed feet polar fleece suit, wrapped in a cotton wrap (stretchy), and then another warm blanket on top of him.

Make sure when you change her nappy, feel her feet and her tummy. If the skin is nice and warm, you are fine

luu: no better solutions here! I am trying letting Mason cry for a little bit too but it breaks my heart too.

[Kristen]

Hello everyone!

Dan - best of luck with your move hon!!

Lee - guestbook should be working? Ah, I see you've made a post so everything is ok! I've been the victim of stupid mistakes as well... I blame lack of sleep!

Sarah - No trick to the routine - it's just a routine! We started Mia on it the day after we came home from the hospital (it's the Gina Ford Contented Baby routine) and she's thriving on it. She's actually waking herself now around the right times already knowing what's coming up! It's so cute! We're not doing co-sleeping - we wanted to get MIa used to her cot from day 1 so we wouldn't have issues with her not being able to fall asleep by herself in there later on.

Kelly - glad to hear the feeding is getting better hon! Seems that same way for me as well so just need to get my milk supply up and I'll be right. Hope the sleep catches up for you soon!!

Heather - I had never heard of that book either! I should have a look, thanks

Sezjm - haha I've fallen asleep while feeding too! Sometimes it's hard not to when it's late and you're zonked! BFing takes a lot out of you so it's understandable!

Tan - That is AWESOME you are getting so much milk!!! I'm not getting anywhere near that yet so you are doing SO well! Keep it up hon! I think you might just have sensitive nipples, but just be wary on over-expressing as this can also make your nipples more sore as well.

As for keeping bubs warm, Mia sleeps in an Bonds wondersuit, plus a cotton stretchy wrap, top sheet and a woollen blanket. Her room is generally around 17 at night (we have a digi thermometer in her room). She seems fine with this.

Lulu - We have tried to get Mia into her cot before she falls asleep so that she can learn to send herself off to sleep without having to rely on us to do so. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but I know with perseverance it will pay off. It also helps her to get back to sleep herself during her nap times if she wakes herself up without us having to come in and rock her back to sleep. If she's unsettled, we try spaced soothing (patting her chest, saying 'shhhhh', rubbing her third eye gently, trying a dummy and then finally if all else fails, we pick her up but it normally doesn't get to that point after we've tried all of the others). It took a little while before she got the hang of things but she's pretty good - but she has her good and bad times just like any other baby!! haha

Danni - how is Mason going with his sleeping? Still up and about during the night??

And finally TESS wherever you are - CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

We're going well here - Mia is generally quite good with sleeping and feeding at the moment. She had a bit of a rough patch last night between her 7-10pm nap where she just wouldn't settle without falling asleep on one of our chests so we just watched tv with her, poor cherub. Sometimes they just need a cuddle (and who can deny them that when they're SO CUTE?!?)

I'm still trying to get my supply up - drinking sustogen and taking fenugreek tablets as well as expressing every 2nd feed (every feed and my nipples hurt too much) and we're getting there slowly. Just hope it picks up sooner rather than later!

I might have got some smiles today! Just a quick one but it wasn't a windy one as we were playing and she gave a short grin - but SO CUTE. Hasn't done it since but I was so glad to catch the fleeting one, even though it was so short!

Also - we have some NEW PHOTOS up on the website as well. My photographer friend Mel took them so if anyone is looking for a baby photographer she is EXCELLENT and so gorgeous - can thoroughly recommend her to you!!

[Danni]

hey kristen, Mason is sleeping much better during the night. He certainly knows night from day now. He wakes every 3-4 hours for a feed, but goes straight back to sleep which is a god send!

How you going? is David home with you still? Let me know when you want visitors

[Kristen]

Danni - yep, David is home for another 3 weeks or so before he has to go back which is great because I'm relying on him like nothing else at the moment! I don't know how I'd cope if he wasn't here for me during the night, and then sleeping during the day!!

[Danni]

youre very lucky to have him home! Dale was home for 3 weeks with us and I was devestated when he went back to work. But you do cope babe. Remember I am not far away at all

[LuluHB]

Thanks for your sleep techniques Kristen. Its reassuring to know someone else is basically doing what we're doing - its just so hard listening to her cry, even though its only 5 minutes or so. And your photos are gorgeous! Pity your friend isn't in Perth!!

[Kristen]

Lulu - yeah, and tonight is one of those nights I think! She went down at 7pm - woke at 8 and has been crying on and off for 1/2 hour now. She'll go back to sleep for 10 mins and then cry again... I wonder what it is about this hour!!

[thedolphin]

gosh you guys are soo good with the personals. sorry im crap.

i dont really have any issues with baden sleeping. ive had the occasional bad night but put it down to his feeding issues. ive actually been worried he sleeps to much and im constantly asking keith if he thinks everything is ok.

anyway he sleeps in a nappy, singlet and bonds suit. i wrap him in a flanny wrap and then i have a heavy cotton blanket on the cot but its doubled over (in half) so double the thickness.

apparanetly if their tummy is warm then they are warm enough. you dont measure their heat by hands/feet. also if they are overheating they will have a red face, be sweaty and cry.

we have also co sleeped on occasion. dont want to get in the habit of it but i admit to enjoying it myself.

kristen im going to check out your new pics...

[Janie]

I'm way too scared to try co sleeping! It feels like everyone does it but us LOL. Not that it bothers me, I'm glad Nicky likes his bed (most of the time!).

We had a really good night last night, he settled well after each feed and pretty much went straight to sleep YAY! None of this "oh goody it's night time, I want company" business that we've been getting! Unfortunately that meant I didn't get my sleep in after the early morning feed , he'd had enough of sleep by then. But I'd rather that than be up in the night with him.

Nicholas sleeps in a singlet, nightie (sooooo much easier when I have to undress him for every feed), wrapped in either muslin or flannelette and tucked in with a sheet and light fleecy-type blanket. I put socks on him if it's a cold night. It doesn't sound like much compared to everyone else! But he seems fine, he's more likely to get hot than cold I think. Even the MCHN commented that he seemed to maintain his temperature very well, especially for a premmie.

I really need to update his website! I did get our birth story posted, but I'm very slow with the pics. I'm way behind with my emails too . Was going to do it now, but I really need to express, and I think Nicky isn't settling very well ATM, so he might be getting up any minute! Better make the most of the time I've got LOL.

Have a lovely Saturday everyone, enjoy the sunny weather Melbourne girls!

Love Sez xoxo

[mmm's_first]

Geez you lot were chatty yesterday! Going to try and read them now (while I have the chance) but not sure if I will get time to come back and chat. There are a few things happening today will fill you in later... when I have a chance to tell the whole story.

[mmm's_first]

I know I said I might not be back in but I just had to

Haven't been brave enough to tackle the whole changing, feeding, settling in public yet.

Lulu LOL I was out yesterday at the shops pricing a heater to go down the other end of the house near Isobella's room and I saw a friend and ended up being there longer than expected. Well while I was in Big W she woke up waning a feed and the mother's room was just too far away so I stuck her on the boobie while I kept looking!!!

[Janie]

Well while I was in Big W she woke up waning a feed and the mother's room was just too far away so I stuck her on the boobie while I kept looking!!!

WTG, that's great, I love it! I have fed in public (only once) and all we got were admiring looks! I was waiting to someone to have a go at me so I could let rip at them PMSL! It was really nice actually.

[Janie]

Oh man, what a night, my first real scare as a mum. After I put Nicholas down after his late feed he was quite unsettled. We were in bed and he was grizzling, he started to work up to a full blown scream so I got up to him and he did a huge sick out of his nose and mouth. I picked him up and realised that he had so much mucous coming out of him (as a premmie, he has had a bit, but not this much before). He was struggling to breathe between cries, his face was going bright red and his eyes were watering. So I'm crying and trying to wake Andy, who was out like a light. I had Nicky on his side and I was trying to clear the mucous from his mouth with my fingers. I was just about to call an ambulance when he settled. It was the most frightening moment of my life. I called the MCHN 24 hour hotline, but they were fairly useless. I sat up with him for ages, I was so scared to put him down in case it happened again!

So sorry for no personals, my man is screaming again!

Love Sez xoxo

[Tanya]

Hey girls... any of you give birth on the 25th (May 07)? Go to Jetstar... they are giving away $500 vouchers to parents with babies born only on that day! It's to celebrate their 3rd birthday So make sure you don't miss out!! And if anyone pops up who with a bub born on the 25 make sure you let them know

Tanya

[Danni]

oh sez, mason had the same thing last night AGAIN! dont be scared hun... just help him clear it with your fingers :hugs:

[kellym]

Hello!!

Sez - You poor thing, how awful!! I always worry about things like that as Luke is quite a 'sicky' baby too. I was assured by many of the midwifes though that babies can't choke on their own vomit, even if they're lying on their back when they do it. It is quite distressing though. Luke did a massive vomit the other night that came out of his nose and mouth too - I just felt so sorry for the poor little thing. Take care.

Speaking of scares, Luke scared the cr*p out of me the other day. You know how they all have their funny little twitches that they do while their asleep, well usually I think it's really cute but the other day, after a feed, I held him a bit longer than usual and let him fall asleep on me while watching TV (I don't usually do that, he normally goes straight to bed but I think I just needed the cuddle). Anyway, he started the twitching, which is fine and doesn't worry me, however the twitching seemed to change and I was sure he was having a fit. Of course, my first reaction was to panic and in the process I scared DH half to dealth and couldn't even tell him what was happening. I was just sitting there crying, thinking he was having some sort of fit. Anyway, it wasn't a fit, of course, it was just a few twitches. I was so angry with myself for getting so worked up - what if something serious really does happen, I've just proven to myself that I won't cope with it. So much for all the first aid training that I've done!!!

Mel - Good on you for feeding in Big W!!! With all my excess milk issues, there's no way I could do that without milk squirting all over the place, I'm so jealous!! Looking forward to hearing from you again - sounds like you have an interesting story to tell???

Kristen & Danni - You're both so lucky to have your partners home with you for so long - DH has only been able to take two weeks off (starting from when we got home), so I've only got one week to go!! I'm so worried about having to do everything, DH has been amazing!!!! I'm sure all will be fine though!!

Sorry, that's about all the time I have for personals atm - very poor attempt, I know. I promise I'll get better eventually!!

Well, I'm still having a few feeding problems. My milk is literally squirting out everywhere now, it's so messy trying to feed. And poor Luke nearly drowns!! My right nipple is still KILLING me too. The nipple shield was working wonders but now I'm getting a little rash on my boob, from where the nipple shield sits, so I'm trying not to use it. The pain though is still really intense when Luke feeds on that side. I'm sure he's latching on correctly and my nipple doesn't look really cracked or sore but man it hurts. I don't know what else to do and am starting to dread feeding on that side. The other side is perfect though - how can that be?? If only they were both like that, all would be great - always the way. I've got the health nurse out for a visit tomorrow afternoon, so I'll see what she has to say - hopefully she comes when Luke needs to be fed so I can make sure he on properly!!

Hmm, that's another long post from me - sorry guys, I'll leave it there for now!! Hope all is well. I'm feeling a little light headed today - don't think I'm eating enough or drinking enough water - must change that!!!

Kelly xxx