Babies Born ~ July 1st-15th 2009 #2

[Tinsel]

Bek - I feed Miss A in bed and I lay her on a pillow while I'm propped up on pillows. I doze off too and am glad it only takes about 10 minutes to feed. I put her in bed next to me in her sleeping bag.

Jetta - I haven't been to weigh Miss A since her 2 month needles. DH and I do a quick weigh by standing on the scales first - take note of the weight - and then hold bub and then minus the first weight to get her weight. Did that make sense LOL. I need to go to bed.

[jesscook08]

hi everyone. im doing ok. ex has been staying here the last few nights to help out. Went out for about 1 hour last night left all 4 kids with their dad with a bottle of formula made up for Anton. Have now got Anton on a bottle of formula once a night which helps him to settle better and longer most of the time so dad has enjoyed giving him a bottle and starting to bond. im home with only the 2 girls and anton tonight so ill have a bit of me time in the morning after droping the girls of at kinda and daycare ill still have anton but he is usally happy with what ever i want to do as long as he can see me and every now and then stop what im doing and talk with him.

[ss_storm]

Hayley has been very unsettled today...don't know why! Finally she is in bed asleep...I put her down at 7 because she was getting tired and grumpy then woke up at 8 so I gave her a bottle and of course she didn't want to go back to bed! Let her have some nappy free time on the floor to tire her out a bit, but she still grizzled for a while when i put her back to bed at 9.
She did sleep in until after 8 this morning and had an hours sleep late this afternoon, so maybe she just wasn't sleepy yet! Lol. i don't think she is a morning baby, she usually sleeps until at least 7.30, has only been a few mornings when she has been up before 7. good for me because I don't like getting up early, especially now it is darker outside in the mornings. probably won't be so good when I go back to work and will have to get up and have her ready as well!

Hopefully I won't have to go back to work...DF's hosting/IT business is going really well and he's picking up a fair bit of contract work (mostly car/truck towing). There is also a possibility we may be moving to Tumut/Gundagai around Christmas, provided things go ahead as planned and DF is offered a towing job in that area.

I have to get out of bed to feed...have to get out anyway to get her bottle ready! When we first brought her home I fed her in bed, but I found I would almost fall back to sleep again...so I go out to the lounge room and watch telly (we got Austar a couple of weeks ago so now at least there is something decent to watch at 2 or 3 in the morning!).

hayley hasn't been weighed since her 6 week check up with the MCHN. The next "official" check up isn't until 4 months or 6 months, sometime around then. I am thinking of making an appointment to see them in the next couple of weeks, I'm worried she might be getting a flat spot, although she usually sleeps with her head on the side and spends a fair bit of time rolling on her side on the floor or sitting in her rocker. Maybe it's just me being paranoid... But just for curiosities sake I'd like to see how much she has grown and gained in weight. Not really interested in anything else they have to say, after my first experience with them! Pretty much ignored all her advice anyway and just did my own thing.

[jetta2022]

Hayley has been very unsettled today...don't know why! Finally she is in bed asleep...I put her down at 7 because she was getting tired and grumpy then woke up at 8 so I gave her a bottle and of course she didn't want to go back to bed! Let her have some nappy free time on the floor to tire her out a bit, but she still grizzled for a while when i put her back to bed at 9.

SS Storm - that is exactly what Sam was like today. He normally only stays awake for 1 hour but today I was waiting for tired signs and nothing was coming! 2 hours later I though, he really should have a nap but he would grizzle and then when I finally got him to sleep he would only sleep for about 50 minutes!! I think our guys are about the same age. He woke this morning at 5.50am starving as last feed 10pm and stayed awake for about an hour fifteen, just put him down for a nap which was pretty easy, so we will see how that goes.
I have been trying to let some light into his room so he gets use to sleeping with some light as his bedroom from next week when we move is much bigger with more windows but we think that is maybe what is disturbing him!! Anyway, lets see how he goes today! Good luck to you too!

[jetta2022]

Just a question guys, what do you guys do if they wake up after only 45 minutes during the day? I am torn between going in quickly to try and get him back to sleep - don't want him to get use to me coming in at the drop of a hat or waiting to see if he goes back to sleep. Normally he doesn't, he just gets more worked up over about 10 minutes and then I go in and I have no chance of getting him back to sleep. Do you guys just get them up or try to get them back to sleep for a little longer. I think this is becoming a habit and I want Sam to learn to go back to sleep as I don't think he knows how to settle himself off..
Just thought I would ask!

[Fleur]

Just a question guys, what do you guys do if they wake up after only 45 minutes during the day? I am torn between going in quickly to try and get him back to sleep - don't want him to get use to me coming in at the drop of a hat or waiting to see if he goes back to sleep. Normally he doesn't, he just gets more worked up over about 10 minutes and then I go in and I have no chance of getting him back to sleep. Do you guys just get them up or try to get them back to sleep for a little longer. I think this is becoming a habit and I want Sam to learn to go back to sleep as I don't think he knows how to settle himself off..
Just thought I would ask!

Mmm Jetta, I have the exact same question!
I worry that if I go in too soon, she will expect me to respond immediately - I like it that she will lie there quietly for a while - but if I don't go in straight away then she ends up wide awake. And to be honest I don't know if I could get her off to sleep again anyway...

So sorry, not much help but I am interested to see what the others have to say.

[Miss E]

Wow there has been a lot of action here lately!

I get out of bed and feed Ash in his room at night. I find that when I do that he knows he has to go back to sleep cos that is the only time we do a feed in there iykwim. The few times I did do it in bed we all ended up falling asleep, so I figured it was best to get up. I do do his rollover feed before I go to bed in bed though.

Ash also tends to wake up after about 30 or 40 mins during the day. Usually I just leave him unless he starts crying or really grizzling. 2 out of 3 times I end up having to get him up because he has decided he has had enough sleep, but sometimes he will chatter to himself for 10 or 15 minutes and then fall back asleep (which I think he might just have done ).

We also had a bit of an unsettled day yesterday, he didn't sleep for any longer than 40 mins, so our routine got really thrown out of wack. But I think that's because his sleep patterns are changing. Sat, Sun and Mon nights he slept through (woo hoo!) but then Wed morning he woke up at 5.30am so I put him back to bed (in my book it isn't sleeping through unless he makes it till 6am, and even then I might put him back to bed so I can have a sleep in ). Then this morning he woke up at 3.45am . It seems that if I get him up earlier and don't put him back to bed then he has longer naps during the day, but if I get him up (when he sleeps through) at 6.00 or 7.00 he has naps of around 1.5 hours... Just don't know which way I prefer it...

Last week definately was a wonder week for us. He was feeding heaps and quite unsettled, but his development has come along in leaps and bounds since. He's just started rolling off of his tummy, is batting at the toys on his playmat, grabbing hold of toys and anything he can get his hands on to feel them and he did start sleeping through the night for the first time.

[lovelycate]

wow - our internet access was down for one day and so much seems to have happened on here in that time!

First up - Zac slept for EIGHT HOURS last night!!! OK, so it was from 7pm til 3am, but OMG how cool is that?!

Since everyone seems to be talking about the same stuff I'll skip personals...
Anyhow, our normal night looks like - asleep between 7pm and 8pm, usually until anytime between 11pm and 1.30am at which point he usually comes into bed with me where he is quite happy snacking until about 3.30/4am and then I have to make a bottle. Last night I made a bottle as soon as he woke up and then he was quite happy snacking until 6am. I feed lying on my side with him lying on his side facing me and we both fall asleep. It's very nice and peaceful, and I tend to have at least one afternoon sleep like this each week - especially if he's had a wakeful night and hard to settle.

During the day he generally only sleeps for 45 mins at a time and then awake for 2 hours I just leave him in his cot until he starts grizzling - he can be quite happy chatting to himself for 10 minutes or so. Very occasionally he might nod off again, but I've given up trying to resettle. I think the idea if you want to do it is to go in before they actually wake and start patting or whatever you do so that they move straight into the next sleep cycle. Hopefully after a few goes at that they have then learnt to do it by themselves so you're not stuck doing it everytime

My question at the moment is about getting them to sleep - for a while there I could put Zac into bed when he started showing tired signs and he would quietly just zone out and then fall asleep, but lately he has started grizzling as soon as I put him in his cot. I try to let him be if he is just grizzling quietly, but if he starts yelling I always go into him. The only sure fire way I've got at the moment is to rock him in my arms until he falls asleep and then I put him down. It works, but I don't want to be stuck doing that for too long - he's going to be too heavy! How do others settle their babies?

Our MCHN has weighed and measured him every week up until 8 weeks, then again at 3 months and will do the next at 4 months.

Sorry for the super long post!

[LotusFlower]

OMG WORST NIGHT EVER!
Oliver still gets bad wind pain. He screams and squirms and his tummy gets rock hard and he's just miserable. Last night he screamed for 12 freakin hours! I'm 99% sure it's wind because, basically, he stinks. That, and when he fed overnight (in the short, short breaks from screamfest '09) his tummy was gurgling and rumbling as the milk went down.
I tried - gripe water, bicycling his legs, tummy massage, warm compress, "colic" hold, panadol, brauer's colic relief, bouncing him and 2 warm baths. He'd finally drift off after about 2.5hours of crying, then would be awake 20minutes later, starting the whole saga all over again! I can't think of anything different I've eaten. Am wondering if perhaps his gut flora is all out of whack from the ab's he was on for his ear infection, coz when he did a poo this morning it stunk! He's finally calmed down but jesus! I'm thinking about taking him in to see a baby chiro next week, there's one that's supposed to be really good in the next suburb, and I figure it can't hurt.
Sorry, I'm no help with the sleep, Oliver really only sleeps for 45mins too. The only time he tends to sleep longer is if he's swaddled (which I'm trying to wean him off of). He's asleep atm, in his sleeping bag, with his arms inside (I figure it's similar to swaddling, but his arms can move a little more). The nurse recommended to me to go in after 35 minutes and wait until he showed the first signs of waking, resettling him before he was completely awake. Apparently most babies wake somewhere between 35 - 50mins after going to sleep, and after a few times, you'd know exactly when to go in. Supposedly this only takes a few days until they learn not to wake at this time? Dunno, everytime I tried it Noah had to come in to see what was happening so it was a dismal failure. Also I still hold Ollie to sleep 80% of the time. Not a habit I want to get in to though, Noah had to be rocked off to sleep until he was enormous, like 15months I think.
About to lose (what's left of) my mind.

[Fleur]

Lotusflower

[BekZ]

oh my so many posts. Sounds like a few bubs are having wonder weeks. Eva's unsettled week was last week.

On the point of resettling: I do a bit of both.It all depends on how long she has slept for and hoe cranky she is when she wakes. If Eva has only beeb asleep for 20 mins I go in ans resettle. If she wakes after say 45mins and is really upset there is no way she'll resettle. If she wakes and is happy I don't rush in to get her, chances are she might go back to sleep on her own.

lovelycate: Have you heard of the pick up and put down technique? You put bub down, wait for them to grizzle, pick bub up long enough to pacify and put bub straight back down..then repeat if required. The idea is not hold bub to sleep, and to encourage bub to go to sleep ontheir own.

I'll be back later....

[ss_storm]

another grizzly day here..she is asleep on me at the moment but i bet as soon as i put her down she will wake again.

Hayley usually only sleeps for 30-45 mins during the day. she is bright and bubbly when she wakes up so don't think i would be able to get her back to sleep if i tried! the last couple of mornings she has woken me up chatting away in her cot. very cute, and so much nicer than waking up to crying!

LF- hope you have a better night tonight...maybe he will be so exhausted from last night he'll go straight to sleep...fingers crossed you can get some sleep!

*TMI WARNING** I think i might have an anal fissure or something... never really been 100% since giving birth but it's starting to get painful now and annoying as it gets a bit itchy...really should see a doctor but our old gp has gone to sydney and its not the kind of thing i want to go talking about to just any doctor! so embarrassing...going to get some metamucil tomorrow to see if that helps any.

[lovelycate]

Lauren - you poor things! I reckon you might be right about his gut flora - ABs always have that effect on me. Apart from taking some probiotics yourself, when I had thrush my pharmacist recommended those Inner Health Plus capsules. He said that I could break the capsules open and give the contents to Zac. Maybe that would be worth checking out?

I hope that tonight is 100 times better than last night

[Ryatha]

Lauren - I just checked my kids inner health plus that Lumpy has and it says to consult your dr for kids under 2... so you might be able to give it to him - it is already in powder form so easy to give. I took the capsules for a month after my AB's as the dr said it would go through to Fred through my milk.

Cate - good luck for tonight Hope he sleeps for 8 hrs again

Fred has also been unsettled for a week or two here as well. We are feeding twice a night instead of once, but she still sleeps in her cot from 6.30pm to 6.30am. Sleeps during the day average 45 mins as well. I do try the resettle the first time she makes noise, if she smiles at me I know that she is ready to get up, if she doesn't look at me I pop her dummy in, shush and walk out again. One day I got her to sleep 2 hours - it was great! The result of the wonder week is that she now rolls off her tummy both sides, grabs her toys on her toy mat, happily eats her fists, will hold her blankie now and we got our first laugh today during the shopping. She liked the idea that lying in the trolly meant that mum and dad looked at her for an hour, then got tired, cranky and fell asleep! Lumpy has been away with the IL's and my parents this week so there has been a lot of time to sew and rest and play with Fred.

Hi to everyone else, hope you are all well and at least it looks like all of us have bubs that only sleep 45 mins during the day!

[jetta2022]

Amazing how many of us have bubs that are only sleeping for around 45 minutes during the day! I find it amazing that last night someone rang our doorbell at 11pm and the dog started barking, Sam didn't even stir!! During the day all you have to do is bang something and he is awake, it is amazing that he sleeps in such a deeper sleep during the night! Not complaining though!
During the day he always wakes up after 45 minutes or so crying or grizzling. It sounds like it may be wind that wakes him up, I can't work it out but he never wakes up smiling or happy! Perhaps he does and I am just not there to see it and then he is grumpy in bed!

SS Storm - I hope everything is okay, I have no help to offer as I had a c/section. I totally understand about the doctor, I am due for a pap smear but my doctor is always a good hour wait even after making an appointment and that won't work with Sam to well sitting in a waiting room full of sick people but I want a lady doctor!!

Sounds like everyones bubs are really coming along! it is so exciting! Sam is starting to grab at objects too and he is really tracking things with his eyes now which I was worried about before. He follows voices. No rolling yet but his head support is amazing and I try to give him heaps of tummy time and sitting up time.

We are moving on Wednesday and I have no idea how to coordinate it. I am trying to work out whether I leave Sam with my mum for the day so I can concentrate on moving as his bed etc will all be in transit!! It is certainly going to be a disruptive day! I love my mum but I have Sam in such a good routine and I don't think she will follow it!! I know it is only 1 day but I said to my hubby that I will have to be expressing while the removalists are around!!! Anyway, I am sure it will be fine but this weekend we have to do a LOT of packing! thankfully my husbands mum is around this weekend so she can help entertain Sam. I hate him just being on his mat all by himself for too long!

So great reading how everyones bubs are coming along! They really are going through an amazing time and it is so fantastic to watch! We have started video footage to try to capture the special moments! Have a great weekend everyone!

Miss excited - what do you have Ash sleeping in with the merino bags? I have bought some of her wraps and they are fantastic.. just wondered what you dressed him in. Sam is always out of his sheets and blankets when I get him in the morning, he must have been freezing last night!!

Sorry for long post!

[Fleur]

Hi everyone... I get to do a post without pumping for a change!

Jess, glad to hear things are sounding better for you? Having Anton settle better at night must be a big relief.

Storm, hope Hayley is a bit more settled today. She could be going through a wonder week? Arlea hasn't been weighed for about 3 weeks now, I am thinking about popping in to the Drs across the road today & throwing her on the scales. Like you I'm more curious than anything, she certainly feels like she's gaining! Good for you for throwing bad advice out the window & trusting your own thing!

Jetta good luck withthe packing this weekend! Moving is hard at the best of times let alone with a little one! You sound as though you are coping with it all very well. Hopefully Sam will be nice & settled while you get things done

MissE WTG on the sleeping through! That's fantastic. Sounds like he is doing great...do you have a bedtime routine? I have been trying to get one in place with AR but things can get a bit busy here & often I end up missing it, she just ends up getting tired & going to bed...

Cate, 8 hours :O how awesome! Hopefully he will make a habit of it lol. Settling - Arlea is still pretty good, I wrap her & give her a dummy (yes the dread dummy has made an appearance thanks to DH & kids ) If she is really overtired though she won't go off by herself, I need to rock her. I don't mind doing it then though if I know it's becasue she's overtired, kwim? Hope your little guy sorts himself soon sorry I haven't got any real ideas...

LF hope last night was better for you? I guess hopefully it is a remnant of the AB's that way it might sort itself soon?

Ryatha sounds like Fred is doing great! I am still waiting for Ar to repeat her chuckle from the other week, I am starting to think it was just a fluke! It sounds like you are having such a nice week sewing & resting & playing with Fred...very peaceful & relaxed.

AFM I thought we might be having a wonder week, but she hasn't really been grizzly? Just feeding & sleeping more. She's not really a grizzly baby in general so I don't kow if that would make a difference. She has increased her feeds by about 20-30ml per bottle, which is good and had a couple of 3 hr sleeps this week! I didn't let her sleep any longer, both times I woke her up... my sleep is precious! and I wasn't going to risk letting her sleep longer through the day, lol.
She had her first day in care yesterday & was fine. I was a bit anxious but I think I missed her more than she missed me. Work has told me not to come back in until I am no longer feeding her - that was the ONLY reason she is in care- becasue they wanted me back at work! but that vent is in another thread. Suffice to say I am keeping her in for now, it hurts me more than her I am sure, and their idea is that I can work uninterrupted at home on that day.

Hope everyone else is well ...

[Miss E]

Jetta, good luck with the move! During the day I wrap Ash up in what ever he is wearing (usually a bodysuit) in one of the merino kids wraps and then pop him in the bag. At night I put him in one of their newborn gowns (mind you he has just about outgrown it) and then wrap him and put him in the bag. I do worry about him overheating, which was why I tried to wean him from the wrap which didn't work, so I make sure the temp is quite cool in his room and also try to only put him in natural fibers. That's one of the things I love about the merino stuff, it breathes, so I think he doesn't get too hot.

Jasp, glad to hear the first day of care went well. Sounds like your work is being a bit unfair though (not sure if it is even legal to do that...). I do have a bit of a bed time ritual going. DH gives him a bath and a massage and then we put him to bed. But before I put him in I give him a cuddle and sing to him like I do during the day with naps.

Sorry ladies I have to run, Ash is grizzling up a storm (45 mins since I put him down... lol)

[Miss E]

Ahhh seems I was able to resettle him

Is anyone else's baby a big spewer? Ash has always been a happy chucker, but it just seems to get worse and worse as he gets older. 99% of the time it doesn't seem to bother him and he sleeps really well during the night, so I've always been pretty certain he doesn't have reflux, but sometimes I wonder... Sometimes he will still be throwing up when it's time for the next feed and the amount just seems to get more and more. He gets the hiccups a few times a day and they seem to be getting a lot stronger iykwim? Then there are occassions when he will wake from a nap with an awful cry (and he rarely cries), I'll go in to settle him and often he will have a big spew or when I pick him up have a burb. Could he be developing refulx at this stage? I thought if they were going to get it it starts pretty early... His weight gain and poos and wees are good, so I know he is keeping enough down. I've tried keeping him up right for 20 minutes after he's fed, burping him in between feeds, having him lie at an angle when he's feeding, but nothing seems to make any different and I can't help but worry...