Babies born~December 1st-15th 2009 #1

[Alison1973]

Hi Suz - welcome back, we missed you! Did you have a lovely holiday/break?

Hi BS - you sound like me, very hard on yourself. You look great and like everyone is saying to me we've just had babies so we need to be less strict on ourselves, we'll get back to our pre pregnancy weight eventually, some just lose it faster than others - lucky them huh! I'm glad you've found out what's wrong with Eva and learnt some proper ways of burping, would be interested to know good ways of doing that, Amelia doesn't suffer from it as far as I'm aware but she's not much of a burper either so maybe I'm just doing it wrong? The head shape thing is very interesting too, Amelia's is more elongated at the back but not wide at the front, wonder what that means ha ha.


AFM - Amelia slept 8 hours last night although it's the one night I chose to stay up till after 11.00 pm so I didn't get 8 hours myself LOL - I'm really happy though, hope this is the beginning of longer nights although I really can't complain, Amelia sleeps on average 6 hours anyway at the moment and she's a good baby really. Of course as soon as you say these things it turns to s**t so I could be saying something different tomorrow! I think the mums and bubs swimming class yesterday tired her out. It was really good, we did half an hour with the bubs in the water and she loves the water....they sang nursery rhymes etc (have to brush up on those!) and then you put them in their prams and we got back in and did some proper exercise, she just slept the rest of the time! The only bummer is that you can't book ahead and the next 2 weeks are full so I can't get in again for 3 weeks, ridiculous!

Am off visiting a friend today, she's been travelling so hasn't seen Amelia since hospital when she was 2 days old! DH was down at our holiday house finishing off more stuff last night so I had my first night alone with Amelia (other than in the hospital). Look forward to him coming home today.

Hope everyone and their beautiful bubbas are well. xx

[willow5]

Hi BS You're doing the right thing telling yourself it will pass and it will get better, it really will!!
I took your advice and got Harry a swing, thank you, so far so good he seems to like it and this morning he slept in it for an hour and a half and I actually got some things done I fed him just before then when he fell asleep on the boob I put him in the swing again, he had a look around, looked at the mobile and mirror for a while and has gone to sleep!!!! It's been about 1/2hr and he went to sleep on his own. Do you have the same or similar swing? It's very cute ors is a Fisher Price my little lamb papasan cradle & swing. I hope they're ok for their posture, did you ask your osteo? I might mention it to my chiro make sure I don't have him in it too much if it can be bad for their spine or head, god I hope not I love it!

Hi Alison Well sooo jealous of Amelia's sleeps!!! That is really strange not being able to book ahead for the aqua, doesn't make it easy to get into a routine for the fitness part. If they're that popular they should run an extra class. Hope you have a good time with your friend, she'll notice a huge change in Amelia!

Well I'm off to do some more things while Harry's happily snoozing in his swing!!

[Tilda]

I've been writing this post on and off for what seems forever. So sorry if there's a few mood swings within! And sorry if I miss anyone or get confused!

Welcome back Suz!! It must have been great to have a whole month away with the newly expanded family. Look forward to hearing more about it.

Willow - I don't think I'll be surfing belly buddies for awhile if I have anything to do with it I'll have to have a look around for a frame like yours. I don't want to spend $100 on one of those play mat gym things. Have totally chickened out on the self-settling thing where you walk out of the room and let them "protest". Have "settled" on a bit of a compromise approach instead. Decided its too much to expect an 8 week old baby to go cold turkey.

Alison - I haven't tried the pram you're looking at. I got an ultra light weight one made by Combi (4.7kg) but its not great for long walks. You could look on productreview.com.au and see what people say. I find it a really good site for advice.

Rose - I hear you!!! I have been living with an overtired cranky baby this week. Its hard to resist the smiles though. But I've found they can lull you into a false sense of security when they're over tired because they can turn in an instant. Matilda went from smiling to squealing the house down in a moment the other day.

Kanda - Its fantastic that you scored a great second baby. Must make it much easier with a toddler. I read a good tip while searching for advice on my "issues" - keeping a bag of special toys that comes out at feed time. But maybe that's a bit like indian giving????

BS - Good on your DH for giving you a bit of time off with your friend. And vent away on the bad days. I think it helps to feel like there are people out there listening. Its fantastic that the osteopath was so helpful. I had a friend who's osteopath figured out that their baby who absolutely never slept and cried non-stop had issue with the plates of the skull being jammed or something from the birth. It was life changing once fixed.

Hannah - great that you're feeling better about things. I guess some babies take a bit longer to figure out the night and day thing but I'm sure it will happen.

AFM - it really has been a full on week. I can't remember when I posted properly last. Matilda has had another couple of hysterical episodes when all she's done is cat napped on top of me and snacked all day. I ummed and ahhh'd over whether to start "self settling" but I can't bring myself to do it. But then we had an amazing day yesterday. We decided to do a day trip down south of hobart hunting for berries and good food in general. And Matilda got decent sleeps all through the day in the car and fed properly in between. It was so lovely to be out as a family (until she did an explosive poo at a swish water side restaurant which went all down her back and my front!!! And it never occurred to me to pack spare clothing for me). Anyway, I've basically come to the conclusion that I can't let her snack and I've got to put her down in her cot to settle with help from me patting and singing). I think that theory of they need to go to sleep where they're going to wake up really applies to Matilda. And OMG when we got home it worked!!! Its been a bit sketchy today. I've been pretty disciplined about continually waking her until she's had a decent feed and trying to settle her in the cot as much as possible. But it does drive me spare a bit. Oh god, there she is. Only lasted 20 minutes! ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. I think I'm going to have a hysterical baby tonight. Do you think I should persevere with this strategy??? Gotta go.

[BrusselsSprout]

Ha! Willow, I told you! Since I got that swing I get some stuff done and she loves it! The osteo said leaving her in her car seat for over three hours is bad but otherwise swings etc are fine, just not all day obviously. He explained that babies have rounded spines and so the are more comfortable in a cradle hammock position but just not to leave them in there for hours on end since they also have to learn to develop their muscles. I think an hour here and there is no problem. I also have a fisher price but mine is Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders Aquarium Cradle Swing - it has a light up mobile thing and is really great - the one you got looks so much more comfy though - it has that big cushy seat But seriously Eva LOVES it - as soon as she is in it she starts smiling, even before I start the music. And when we try to settle her down for a long time and her belly hurts she calms down in there with the swinging motion...I don't know how our grandparents did it without all this technology!

Tilda, the osteo also mentioned that it is very important to avoid snacking (you know I have one of those too - less now but still sometimes in the miorning) - he explained that their systems are always full of food therefor overworked and they always feel hungry - he explained that at the age Eva is at (I know Matilda is a bit younger) she should have 3.5-4 hours between each feed! I am going at 2-2.5! I dream iof four hour breaks! Thats exercise and grocery shopping and preparing dinner while she stays with a sitter! So he explained this burp technique and I found that Eva has been finishing two ful breasts now! Ok, so this is how it goes (for alison as well) - you feed her and once you see the baby sort of fidgeting (I am not sure if you guys have that issue but Eva gets very fidgety because the reflux bothers her) to pick her up the hold her on your forearm and SLOWLY lean her back until she is horizontal the back up, the do the same to the right side (your right, her left since it releases the air from the tummy air pocket) - you can repeat this three times (just the side thing - you only go backwards once....so back, side and back up, side and back up, side and back up. The up on the shoulder which puts pressure on the belly, for a burp. I have been getting some massive burps like this and find that she feels better and goes back to eating with desire, so I have been having two breasts drained at every sitting the past few days...you should try that and let me know how it goes. He explained that the problem with not getting a good burp is that the belly is full of air, so they think they are full, then they either go to sleep and are woken up by hunger or gas from previously digested air, which is what happened with Eva - she would squirm in her sleep until she woke up! Then the gas you deal with later is awful...and of course be sure she drains at least one breast completely because the hindmilk is very very important for her to sleep. Let me know how it goes

As for self settling - been two days in a row I put Eva doan (but this only works on her belly) in bed and she dozes off alone. Yesterday I got two three hour sleeps! Today she fell asleep in the same way as yesterday in her own room so let's see if this works I think you should keep on with the self settling but Eva also does not settle down the first shot, what might be good to do is to try to put her down and if she is really fidgety to pick her up burp her (this is usually the culprit in eva's case) or rock her or change her or settle her in your arms (but not until she falls asleep) then put her down but hang out in the room. Sometimes she needs to cry in order to get to sleep, so I just stay near by to be the dummy pusher when it falls out and she settles n her own most of the time now. Again, this worked for me, not sure if it will work, but worth a try - and give it time - it does not always work the first time! I have been really insisting on self settling because she is almost at three months and I really want to try to get her into some kind of rythm and into her own room...so I hope one day she'll sleep and if she wakes up at 6, hang out looking at her mobile for an hour to let me sleep! (we can dream right? )

Does she take a dummy? One more thing the osteo said (he examined her palate shape etc..) is that a dummy is indeispensable...that it releases the pressue in the head from the birth, produces saliva which in evas case is important for reflux, works all the muscles in the head and that the most impoartant this is that it is a huge pleasure for them and settles them in a way nothing else except for food can! I changed dummy 3 times and he told me to try to buy what is called a cherry dummy, which is just a simple ball shape. He said that by the shape of her palate he can tell it would probably be more comfortable for her and that she would like it more...so DH went out to get one today for a try. Willow, you might want to try that shape for Harry...I could not live without my swing and dummy. Seriously the two most important things for a fussy baby

Alison, maybe if you get a few other mums together you guys can request an extra class? I mean if they will earn more money for it, they should try to program another one...I should look into that here, But it is so damn cold! We have a pool in our complex so I cabn't wait until summer when I can start her swim lessons (FIL and BIL are serious swimmers and former lifeguards, so they are looking forward to taking her for a dip!) - So cool to have a builder DH, I am sure the house looks amazing - I am sure that is his way of "crying" - I am going to look online about the head shape thing and if I find something interesting, I'll post it - fascinating, isn't it all that stuff?

AFM, last night another baby sleeping on the knees on a hot water bag night. My back is killing me since I fell asleep seated again and DH fell asleep too after walking around with her for an hour. so I woke up at 2 am to put her to bed and get some sleep. We had another snowstrom last night so my trainer canceled my class (I am happy since everything hurts so today will be an eliptical machine day)...She seems to be doing better and fell asleep on her own in her bed again - I am getting her used to it in order to lmake the big move to her room easier.

Anyway, I really need to go get some stuff done and try to cook a bit so I have stuff to eat easily (I make soups and stuff to warm up easily in case I have a bad day )

kisses to everyone else and have a great weekend!

xoxo

[BrusselsSprout]

Ps - you guys are going to have to put up with my awful spelling for a bit - I type so ffast and one a French keyboard so make mistakes and don't have time to go back and correct, but I am not illiterate! Sorryyyyyyy for torturing you all with the spelling!

[Tilda]

Hi BS. I will definitely give that style of burping a go. I think it is gas some of the time. Because she does that squirming thing. Just want to make sure I understand what you meant. So, do you put them belly down on your forearm first and lower them down to horizontal and then turn them on to their side and do the same thing? And I'm starting to think we might have to try a dummy. I was trying to avoid any type of aids that I might have to go and replace intermittently but tonight she was obviously wanting to suck something. I thought she was hungry because she kept trying to nose dive for my boob. But she'd get upset when I tried to feed her. So I realised she was looking for something to suck. Well I'd better try and get some sleep. 4.30 in the morning and just put her back to bed.

[Mummy-Lani]

Hi all,

This will be a quick post as I am feeding Jett.
Sounds as though everyone is going well.

Suz I am jealous of your month away.

Tilda- I hope a dummy works. I think I could open a shop that sells dummys as I think I have one of every single one available. Jett won't take one and likes to use me as a mummy dummy.

BS I hope Eva's reflux improves.

Willow glad to hear the swing is doing well.

Sorry to anyone who I missed.

AFM I can't believe it Jett just went 8hrs between feeds. What a Good boy!! I was shocked to see the time. I started Jett on infacol on Thursday night and since then he is a efferent baby.

Hope all are going well.
Must go n burp as he has just come off.
xoxo to all

[BrusselsSprout]

Hi BS. I will definitely give that style of burping a go. I think it is gas some of the time. Because she does that squirming thing. Just want to make sure I understand what you meant. So, do you put them belly down on your forearm first and lower them down to horizontal and then turn them on to their side and do the same thing? And I'm starting to think we might have to try a dummy. I was trying to avoid any type of aids that I might have to go and replace intermittently but tonight she was obviously wanting to suck something. I thought she was hungry because she kept trying to nose dive for my boob. But she'd get upset when I tried to feed her. So I realised she was looking for something to suck. Well I'd better try and get some sleep. 4.30 in the morning and just put her back to bed.

NoTilda, you have to hold her facing you, basically leaning on your forearm, sort of a seated position...then you lay her back (unbend your arm), then bring her back to seated position, then tip her down to your right side still facing you - her position on your arm does not change...We have been doing back then side side side...or back back then side side side...It works wonders! Let me knwo if that is clear

Go for the dummy - Matilda sounds just like Eva! The only way I could get her off my boob was with a dummy - the osteo and pediatrician both told me that some babies REALLY need the sucking and if they feed too much it just makes the gas worse. Plus it is such a pleasure for them, you'll see. I think she will settle down a lot more if you get her using a dummy. Then eventually if you don't want it you can try to use it only for sleep and then wean her off of it, but you will not know how you lived without it once you get her using one. I was against using one too but now I don't care. I would have never gotten the space in between feedings or get her to self settle without one!

Good luck. If it helps they said to get one that looks like a nipple. just the simple ones you get at the chemists are the best.