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

Morning Girls - how was everyone's nights?

I got 5 hours out of Amelia last night, when we woke at 3.00 am I BF'd her, then topped her up with expressed milk (3 days worth of 80mls that's how sad my milk is), I went to put her back in her bassinette and I put the dummy in her mouth (I bought Happy Baby ones yesterday so they're a bit bigger as someone told me they stay in better than the Nuk ones I was using) and I think I pushed it in when she wasn't ready and made her gag and she power spewed all her milk all over me and the floor. It even woke up DH as it hit the carpet ha ha. So, of course, then she was hungry so had to get some formula to fill her up again!!!! Talk about a waste of my expressed milk, that stuff is like friggin gold to me!!!!!!

Well, best go, she's fallen asleep in her swing.....might take the opportunity to actually eat breakfast now it's 9.00 am and might even have a shower, lucky me!!!

Hi Ladies,
I am having a pretty rough go of it at the moment. Little Sienna is very restless and DD1 is getting fed up with me not giving her enough attention. She is starting to muck up and just as I got Sienna to sleep this morning she made a loud bang and woke her up again, just got her to bed now again and DD1 is in her highchair watching foxtel. feeling really low. Just want hubby to come home now. I don't want sleep I just want to do nothing!.
aaahhh the joys of motherhood hey! :)

Hi girls :)

kanda - It must be so hard with more than one kid. I'm finding that the baby alone is a huge amount of work. I hope you can get a break, even if just for a short while.

Alison - aw, poor Amelia and you! Liam's done a few spectacular power spews the last few days (the joys of oversupply - he gulps down more milk than he wants/needs and then chucks it). He always manages to spew all over me, and never DH though! Same goes for poosplosions - they always end up on me!

Carmey - I've been doing exactly that (letting the letdown go into a towel and/or hand expressing some out) and it's been helping a little. Poor Liam's been squirted in the eye with milk a few times when he pulls off though!

AFM - Liam is actually napping right now. He was really restless all day yesterday, only managing a few short cat naps. By the time we put him down for the night, he was totally wired and overtired. He eventually fell asleep, and stayed asleep for almost five hours. Then, instead of waking every hour as usual, he stayed asleep for at least two hours at a time. I tell you what, my boobs were grateful every time he woke up though - I ended up massively engorged, since I'm so used to feeding him practically hourly. I almost got up to express at 3am, since I was so damn uncomfortable. Thankfully Liam's had a couple of decent feeds this morning, but I can feel myself getting engorged again as he naps.

I also finally got it together to try Liam in cloth nappies. I've been slack and have been using disposables all the time. The little bugger has already outgrown a lot of the size smalls I have. Just ordered some bigger sizes to try him in.

Hi girls, wow lots of posts since I was here last and it was only yesterday, maybe the day before?

Hi Kanda:hug: Hang in there you're doing great it is hard to find that balance, and even when you do it's going to be impossible to give equal time to both kids as there'll be days where one needs more than the other. Hope you get to veg a bit when DH comes home.

Hi Rose Good luck with the cloth nappies, we were doing cloth from day 1 and they look so cute with cloth bottoms :) Harry got a nappy rash last week so we've been putting him sposies until we got some stay dry liners for the cloth ones, I must say the convenience of the sposies was starting to be really appealing lol were getting back into the swing of the cloth now that we have the liners they keep his skin much drier and the barrier creams can effect the absorbency of the cloth so the liners protect them too.

Hi Alison Certainly sounds like you've got a catwalk model or maybe a basketballer, or volleyballer even:D Hope you got to eat your brekkie, if you miss the window you can end up without meals altogether!

Hi Carmey I wait until I Harry's doing the sucking signals then I feed him, so before he starts to cry. I have him in bed with us pretty much every night I don't bother with trying to settle him in his bed at night (I cherish the sleep too much!) when he starts sucking noises and trying to suck his hands I roll him over to me and feed him lying down he feeds and takes himself off when he's done so I can pretty much sleep through the feed when he comes off I'll check his nappy and change it while he's still half asleep then offer him the other boob and again he feeds and takes himself off when he's done. I feel much more rested this week doing the night feeds this way...hopefully it keeps up! I take nappies already folded ready to go and have the re usable wipes in a bowl of warm water ready to use and I bought little plastic bins with the swinging lids to chuck the nappies and wipes in after the change so I don't need to leave the bed (I'm very lazy:D) If he cries I find the feed and change takes longer as he's more awake and it's harder to settle him.

Hi Tilda I can sympathise about the thrush!!!! I haven't had dramas since Harry was born, but the whole time I was pg I had chronic vaginal thrush:o:cry: tried everything and couldn't shake it it was awful but after he was born it was gone amazing! I hope you can get yours sorted quickly, now that you're both being treated it should clear up.

Hi Andie Sounds like Jacobs doing great! It's good that you're more relaxed this time it makes a huge difference.
...Oh and yes you're another Biatch with an awesome sleeper! LOL just kidding good on you, but I do envy all you guys that get 5hrs plus at night.

Harry's having the biggest sleep he's ever had through the day. I keep going to check on him it's been a bit more than 2hrs! He usually only goes 20mins to 1hr, we did go out to a friends this morning for coffee so maybe that actually tired him out instead of overstimulating him for once:confused:
Sorry if I missed anyone catch you all later.

Hi Kanda - are you ok? I hope you have had a chance to relax tonight, I feel like that sometimes, a lot of the time (LOL) and I don't even have another child to contend with. Sounds like you need a massage and a stiff drink! Feel better soon. xx

Hi Rose - yay on the cloth nappies. Let us know how you get on. The disposables are expensive huh, we have one of those nappy bins and we're forever emptying it, it's quite amazing how many nappies you go through! Not sure I'd have the energy to be washing cloth ones however, I have enough clothes to wash! :o

Hi Willow - yay for Harry sleeping longer! There's a fine line between tiring them out visiting and over stimulating them huh, I'm trying to figure that one out too, I've been going out all week this week! Oh and I just love your ticker picture, he looks so funny and cute in that piccy. :D

AFM - went to my sister's today, she made me lunch (first time all week I've eaten a proper lunch!) and then we watched a movie, was so relaxing! Even at home I sit on the computer all day which is killing my shoulders and neck....darn BB, FB and Ebay LOL! It's going to be a stinker in Perth this weekend, 39 tomorrow and 41 on Sunday and Monday. Looks like we'll be hanging at home in the aircon or at my sister's in the pool!!!!

Hi Alison - being looked after by your sister must have been nice. Its so hard to prepare and eat food with a baby in the picture. I probably wouldn't be eating if it wasn't for my DH (might also explain why the weight isn't "falling off me :lol:). Have you tried using a BF pillow to give your neck and shoulders a break? I've been using a Tetra one from Big W which only cost $30 - much cheaper than the other ones around. I have really bad neck and shoulders and I find the BF pillow takes all the strain away, I can even BF no hands with it.

Kanda - Sounds like a rough day yesterday. You're an absolute trooper to take on a toddler and a baby. I hope you got a bit of well deserved R & R at some stage yesterday.

Willow - Its great you can BF lying down during the night. It must really give you that bit of extra rest. How long do you think you'll have Harry sleep in with you? Im not sure whether I should really try getting Matilda into a cot now.

Rose - I hope the good day sleeping keeps up for you. Your new regime must be working.

AFm - I'm feeling a bit frustrated with this thrush. We tried treating Matilda for it yesterday and I'm not sure if its a coincidence or not, but she hardly slept during the day and seemed really wired. She pretty much looked bug eyed her esye were that wide open :o: I didn't give her another dose before bedtime tonight and she's been sleeoping well so far. Not sure what to do. Maybe I should try another day on it. Or just go straigt to another medication. Argh!!

Hi AlisonCongratulations on the proper lunch!:lol: I haven't had one since DP went back to work, it's what you can grab when you have a minute or something you can eat with one hand LOL. We're getting a cool change here thank god, I hope you do ok with the heat lucky you've got air con and access to a pool.

Hi Tilda I put DS1 into a cot fairly early because he didn't seem to like the bassinet it helped a bit but not 100%, but that little bit was still an improvement! I don't know how long I'll have Harry in bed with us, I guess we'll see what happens if he becomes more settled at night then I'd move him back to his bed but for now I'll cling to the extra rest while he's in with us. I'd still like to check out the cots that open up onto the bed I think that would make for an easy transition, I should get onto that.
I'm sorry the thrush is still giving you a hard time, I wonder did the stuff for Matilda have sugar in it? Was it drops? I'm not familiar with thrush treatment for babies. It's a vicious circle isn't it you need to treat both of you or it will keep on passing back to each other:wall: I hope you get it fixed up soon!!

Well after Harry's big sleep yesterday arvo he had a very unsettled night, not that he was unhappy he just seemed to wake more often and wouldn't go straight back to sleep then at 4am he wanted to be social! Smiling and trying to have a chat, very very cute, but 4am:o He'd also sort of gotten into a morning routine where he'd sleep for about 2hrs even close to 3 from 6 or 7am which gave me time to shower eat brekkie and even get some washing on, but the unsettled night threw that out this morning he's asleep now so we'll see what happens.

Hope everyone has a good day:)

Hi all,

Hope everyone is having a good day.

Sorry I haven't posted in such a long time, I have been keeping up with everyone but not getting the chance to post.

I had a great day and night with Jett yesterday n last night but this morning hasn't been as good. I guess we have to take the good with the bad.
I have been having to top Jett up with formula as I can feed him for 20 -30mins each side and he is still wanting more so I make him a bottle and he will drink anything from 50-100mls. Is anyone else having the same problem? I really want to just breastfeed but I don't think I have the supply that Jett needs :(

Alison ensure u stay out of the heat and enjoy the pool.

Willow I hope u manage to get some sleep today n catch up on what u missed out on.

Tilda hope the thrush clears up for both u and Matilda.

Rose Aren't you exhausted feeding Liam every hour? Jett would love to eat all day but I feel like I have no milk at times so that's when I give the bottle to let my milk build up. Also well done for doing cloth nappies. How do u manage the time to wash them? I looked into them but decided I didn't think I would have the time to wash them all.

Carmey how exciting that Jack is already booked in for swimming lessons. Don't stress about your weight I am sure u will shed it soon enough. As for self settling I try to let Jett fall asleep on his own and that only works some of the time.

We have a busy weekend ahead of us. We were out last night and we are off to a BBQ this afternoon/night down in Wollongong so I hope Jett is a good boy. Then tomorrow we are catching up with the girls from antenatal classes their partners and all the babies.

I am not looking forward to DH returning to work on Tuesday either. I have had him home with me for just over 5wks.
I am trying hard to get into a routine but it isn't working as yet.
I am sure I will get into one eventually.

I can't believe how fast the time has gone. Jett was a month old yesterday.

Sorry if I have missed anyone, but I must go and tidy up before my man wakes.

:hug: to all

Lani - Liam mostly only does hourly feeds during the day and early morning - it can get pretty tiring, but so long as I get a couple of blocks of sleep that are at least two hours, I seem to cope okay. He's been feeding less frequently the last few days, though, which has been kind of nice (though I almost don't know what to do with myself having more time on my hands!). And as for washing the cloth nappies, I just chuck on a load when I'm up in the mornings. I'm pretty much washing every day anyway, so another load isn't a huge issue.

eep - Liam's crying for a feed. Back later :)

Hi Lani - that's me all the time re the formula feeds, I just don't have enough to fill up Amelia. Don't worry, I've stopped beating myself up about it, we do what we gotta do basically. Amelia gets the breast for every feed with a top up formula, some times she has a whole 120ml bottle!!

Full moon here last night so I'm blaming that for a crap night, Amelia woke after 3 hours and then again after 2, after giving us a minimum of 4 but mostly 5 & 6 hour nights the past week! All my Perth friends had the same last night hence why I'm blaming the moon LOL.

Sorry not writing anymore, gotta get some shopping done before it gets too hot and will check back in later.

Hi Girls - I'm back from shopping!

Hi Lani - meant to say earlier, lucky you for having had DH home for 5 weeks! DH hasn't had any holidays yet! He has only had the day after she was born off and maybe 2 other days in the last 6 weeks. He has his own business and is too busy to take time off at the moment. He did say as of next week he'll be taking every Friday off for a few months, yay!

AFM - been out shopping, finally got a full food shop done, first since before I had Amelia! I've just been getting bits and pieces but was sick of running out of stuff. DH took Amelia around the shops while I did the shopping, was much easier, he takes too long buying food! I also bought a new dress, a pretty maxi dress - it hides all the bits that I haven't managed to get rid of yet (how depressing)....I needed something to wear to the funeral of DH's mate which we found out last night is next Friday. Bummer it's that day too as I have an appointment for Amelia's free hearing test that day, it's very hard to get into and now I have to cancel as it's at the same time! Really disappointed but what can I do, can't exactly not go to the funeral. I did ask DH if I should wear all black but apparently it's not that kind of funeral so I got a multicoloured dress but it has black in it.

Anyway, hope you're all having a great day, it's hot in Perth again!

:hide:

Hallooooo.....its meee!

Oh its so lovely to read some of your posts again girls...I have really, really missed you!!!!

I'm soooooooooooooooooooooooooo sorry I haven't been on in yonks and yonks. I found it extremely tough the first few weeks...I was a complete wreck for the first 2 weeks - extremely emotional and crying a lot, and I'm gradually getting better. I had biiig problems breastfeeding, my left nipple was deeply cracked (it's STILL healing - 5 weeks after I stopped BF), Michael latched on like a clamp and caused so much damage, my milk came in late and I hardly had any (prolly cos Michael wasn't latching on properly & conflicting advice from the MW), he was jaundiced and losing weight...so I had to make the difficult decision to switch to formula (nearly used a whole box of tissues on that one!), while expressing as much as I can and giving that to him in a bottle. I am ashamed to admit that I avoided BB because I was jealous of you girls all BF :redface: I know its silly, but I am jealous :( On top of the BF problems, well I think it was directly related, I had pretty bad anxiety...still do a little teeny bit, but its getting better. I found reading everyone elses problems and experiences on here made me stress big time. But I'm feeling good today, hence the post!

Michael really is a little angel, I couldn't have asked for a better baby. He goes 5 hours between feeds, drinks 240ml at a feed and sleeps generally from about 6pm to 2am, feeds, then 3.30am to 6-7am. He is more awake during the mornings, in fact doesn't sleep much at all in the mornings at the mo - he can be a bit fussy during this period, but then in the afternoon he sleeps a lot. He's smiling heaps and started to make a sort of giggling noise...I absolutely love him to bits!

I haven't had chance to read all the posts...just the odd one here and there. I can't believe how much I've missed you all! :grouphug: I wish we could all get together for real, that would be so good.

I'll try and get on a bit more than I have been...but my Mum arrives on Monday, so I'm not sure how much time I'll get on the computer (I'm planning lots of girly days with my Mummy!).

The other reason why I haven't been able to get on much lately is because DH's mum's leukaemia is back :( It was starting to come back before Michael was born, but they managed to hold it off and we thought we were in the clear, but she's just had another test and its back :( So, while she has been home from hospital we have been spending almost every afternoon with her (which hasn't left us with much time for anything else!). She's going back for more chemo next week - a real strong dose :( Its going to be tough, I'm so glad my Mum will be here - she's here for 4 weeks.

Sorry this is a mega selfish post...I just thought I'd update you all why I've been MIA! I'll stay on for a little bit longer, as long as my darling will let me - he's due for a feed in an hour. So I'll try and catch up on some of your posts.

Hope you're all having a lovely weekend! xx

Hi Beany - oh my Perth mate you silly girl why didn't you let me know you were feeling like that, we can always chat on the phone remember! I wish I'd known because I've been feeling guilty too as I'm also mostly formula feeding these days, I've persevered with BF'ing but I have to give Amelia a bottle every time now or she's just hungry, I just can't get enough. It took me 3 days to express 80mls!!! I'm trying fenugreek but who knows if it will work. Interesting Michael is taking 240 mls, Amelia can easily gulp down 125 msl so I'm wondering if I should be giving her more! Usually though that's after feeding on me first but the last feed at night before bed I give her just a bottle. Definitely helps with the sleeping don't you find?

Oh and I'm super sorry to hear about your MIL, what's the prognosis long term looking like? I have a friend who's been battling leukemia for about 7 years now, it's so sad huh.

Seriously though, I still want to meet up with you, we have a lot in common with our births so would love to catch up some time. Any time you are feeling down let me know. We can bounce ideas off each other!

Also girls, I've just gone onto the next size up from newborn sposies as Amelia's nappies kept leaking wee. It's almost sad ha ha! The infant ones are a tad too big as she's not a chubby baby but more long and thin but will give them a go!

Finally back! Liam's just gone down for a nap, so hopefully I'll have time for some proper replies.

beany - so nice to see you post! Seriously, don't feel guilty about not being able to BF. The main thing is that you tried - you can't do more than that. It doesn't work out for everyone, and the important thing is that your little boy is getting fed and growing. I'm so sorry to hear about your MIL :(

Alison - yay for getting a full food shop done! I've just been doing all of my shopping through coles online, which is so convenient (except this week, since the delivery came just a few seconds after I'd had a poosplosion and was liberally spattered in poo ;) That said, I look forward to being able to get out again. I don't drive at the moment, and walk and/or catch public transport everywhere and it's been too damn hot to go out when I don't need to.

willow - heh, LIam does the same thing, being smiley and chatty at 3-4am! Almost every time I put him down for a nap he's smiling and chatting too. It's so cute, but not so much when you're half asleep and just want him to go back to sleep.

AFM - Liam's been sleeping a lot the past two days - either it's part of a growth spurt (or the end of one) or our new routine is working. Either way, I'm not complaining and making the most of it while it lasts (since I'm sure it won't!). He's started to stretch out his feeds more, too, since he's sleeping more. Which is good on one hand, since it means that I can get things done other than sitting in my glider all day with him, but it also means that I'm getting engorged. I've been pumping a bit of the excess and freezing it (which is kind of counterproductive, since it'll make me produce more milk, but I can't pass up the opportunity to increase my freezer stash).

The cloth nappies are going well so far, too. It's actually nice to be able to change frequently and not worry about throwing money into the bin (we tend to do a fair bit of "just in case" changing when he's not completely wet). He had a major poosplosion today, but unlike with the disposables, which always leaked, it all stayed in the cover. I've been doing a lot of reading today and have ordered a bunch more nappies to trial now. For the moment, we're using disposables at night still, since we have a stack of them, but we'll get him into proper night nappies soon.

Just a quick one for now girls...

Hi Beany Glad you're back! I've been wondering how you were going. Don't feel guilty about the BF you did your best!!:hug::hug: Michael sounds like he's doing really well which is great, but sorry to hear you've had such a hard time:hug: I am still cringing thinking about your poor nipple:o:( !! I'm glad the anxiety is subsiding I know what it's like to suffer with that too. Just remember we're here if you need to chat or vent and no one is here to judge you we're all here to support each other! I hope things go well with your MIL and her treatment, you've definitely had a lot to deal with through out your pregnancy and then afterwards, hang in there you're doing great.


Hi Alison & Rose As for nappies I've noticed the last few days with the sposies (we're using while treating nappy rash to protect the cloth from the barrier cream) that they have been leaking wee too so might need to try the bigger size too. And rose we've only had poosplosion containment problems with the sposies too the cloth seems to keep it contained, the sposies do keep the skin drier but we've bought some liners for the cloth now which seem to help with that. I've got some Itti Bitties in the cupboard that are too big yet but can't wait to try them.

Hi Girls - I think it must be the day to be annoyed with DH! Amelia went to sleep at 9.30 pm after her last feed last night, was awake again at 1.00 am with a wet nappy (she's soaking them these days) and then again at 5.00 am, this time her nappy leaked through her jammies and onto the bassinette mattress so she was not happy. Because her bed was wet I changed her, fed her and popped her in bed with us but she didn't really go back to sleep properly. DH did help me but what annoyed me is he went fishing with his dad at 6.30 am and I was so tired I could hardly keep my eyeballs open and he had the cheek to whinge that he was tired as well and was all cranky. I said, well, you chose to go fishing so don't go there. So I had to get up as Amelia would not sleep while he went gallivating off fishing with his dad and his mates. It's now 8.00 am and Amelia has finally gone to sleep so I probably should have a nap, now I'm up though I feel too awake and I'd like a shower. Honestly!!!!!

On the nappy front, the only problem is because Amelia is more long and thin and she only has a little bottom the infant size are a bit gapey around her legs so while it stops the wee leaking up her back I reckon the poo will come out the legs. I'm tempted to put one of each on ha ha - just kidding. Oh and DH and I DTD last night, the first time since I was 4 months pregnant can you believe it! I must say I don't know how you girls who had a vaginal birth managed but I found it a bit ouchy inside after a c-section which I didn't expect! I think DH was a bit nervous too ha ha. I shouldn't say this but it bothered me as well as Amelia was asleep in her bassinette in the room which I think is wrong, I told DH next time we'll have to put her somewhere else and to never tell her we did it in the same room LOL....DH reminded me we did it while she was inside me and I said oh yeah but when she's out and breathing air it is even worse! I bet he tells her when she's older.

Hope you've all had some sleep. Amelia was asleep, she's just woken up and I think it's because of a poo, I heard the grumbles!!!!

Welcome back Beany!! You've had so much to deal with you poor thing between a new bub and our MIl! BF can be really, really difficult. Matilda would chomp on me too. It is the most toe curling pain. The midwives at my hospital said some babies just don't get the hang of it. I hope your anxiety subsides quickly. Looking after a newborn is a trigger for anxiety if there was ever one! Anyway, don't forget you're doing fabulously with such a thriving boy.

Hi Willow - I hope Harry's nappy rash clears up quickly. Matilda has had a mild one herself which might be thrush related. Its the only problem with cloth nappies.

Hi Alison - what a day for DH to take off! Especially since he's working so much. I hope he's giving you an opportunity to escape every now and then. That's the beauty of a bottle! And brave you for DTD!! No good that it was ouchy - I'm a bit nervous myself. I'd read that even with CS you can get pain. I guess we have just been cut open from one side to the other so its bound to be a bit tender. BTW, the bambooty all in one cloth nappies might suit Amelia. The small size is quite small and fitted around the legs. And they're actually no harder to use than sposies. You just rinse them off, throw them in a bucket until you have a load and then throw them in the machine. There's no soaking involved. And in Perth they wouldn't take long to dry on the line. But you can tumble dry too.

Hi Rose - fabulous that Liam has been sleeping so well the last couple of days. Its hard on the boobs though isn't it! I've had the same thing the last couple of days because Matilda has slowed up a bit. I've been using a hand pump to just relieve it. I'm pretty sure I've read in a couple of places that expressing enough to be comfortable won't affect your supply (as in increasing it). So I'm sure it will be fine as long as you're not expressing the equivalent of a feed.

Hi Lani - its so great to have the guys at home. But daunting when it's back to work.

Well, AFM, just finished a massive brunch of blueberry panckaes (thanks DH). A bit of comfort food was in order. When DH was out this morning I was gibing Matilda her new thrush drops which she hates and she spat it out and tipped her head back so it all ran into one of her eyes. I was mortified! So, I'm running around with cotton wall and water and on the poisons hotline. They told me it should be fine but to flush her eyes out for 5-10 minutes, but I couldn't even make it to 5 she was screaming so much. I was in tears. I felt so careless and so so bad. Anyway, the eye looks fine and she's sound asleep in her new cot which she likes so much better than the bassinet. She can spread out as much as she likes. She just hates being wrapped or constricted in any way. Anyway, this has turned into a much longer post than I meant. Must jump in the shower while I can!!

Hi Tilda, yes it was ouchy so watch out LOL! Maybe it was just me, I didn't really feel like DTD to be honest but poor DH was getting a bit ancy, he kept asking me like a little boy ha ha. Thanks for the tip on the nappies, I'll google that and have a squizy. Can you put them in the wash with everything else even though there's poopey on them? That thought grosses me out hence why I've been using sposies. Yum for the blueberry pancakes, I'm hungry now! LOL

Forgot to mention earlier, I had a bit of a meltdown last night, not sure why. I had a nice long hot shower and when getting dressed looked up in the mirror and just went yuk! I came downstairs and burst into tears, DH was like what's wrong! I just suddenly felt disgusted in my body and that I look so fat and horrible - I have 7 kgs to lose and I still have this gut that makes me look 4 months pregnant only wobbly, my thighs are horrible and I hate my arms, then I went on to cry about the ability or lack thereof to breastfeed Amelia and how I'm such a failure having to have a c-section and now I can't give her enough milk so have to give her formula bla bla bla. He just turned around and said, I think you're being too hard on yourself Alison, you've just had a baby. Then I was like, but that was 7 weeks ago, how come other people at mothers group look thin! Basically he couldn't win, I just had to let it out and then I felt better. I just want my body back I kept saying.......I still feel that way this morning. Mind you, I did manage to express 50 ml this morning which is really good for me. Fingers crossed the fenugreek is working, in the meantime it's a BF/FF mix for Amelia!

God I rambled again.

Heee...hello my lovelies! :D

Alison - glad you are expressing a bit more this morning :clap: I could only express 20 mils per 20 minute session, it was very depressing and sooo time consuming, I felt I was forever expressing, washing & sterilising the equipment on top of all the formula bottles, plus it was so hard to have to sit still for so long when Michael needed my attention. Anyhoo, I've stopped expressing, just stopped a few days ago. Please don't get too upset over your body...I see the same thing when I look in the mirror too...massive big bum (with such hideous stretch marks on it!!), huge thighs, wibbly-wobbly belly, jelly arms and a thick waist. I'm not getting too done up about it, I still have nearly 10kg to lose to get back to pre-preg weight - it'll happen in its own time. The girls at Mothers Group all seem much thinner too, but I think they were probably thinner to start with. For now, maybe just get some nice lose clothes that hide the yucky bits till they go away? I'm living in leggings and dresses/big t-shirt things atm :lol: And I've had meltdowns too...had a big one Wed night, said some awful things which I felt at the time but dont' feel now. I blame it on hormones, perhaps with me stopping the expressing, I'm not sure. I think we all get the meltdowns, its not nice, but I think its normal to some degree... And yes, formula makes for lovely long sleeps. But that could have been because he wasn't getting much from BF before, so he would sleep less and feed more often. MIL prognosis really depends on how she handles the chemo, 1 in 6 don't make it. Then she's got the marrow transplant which is v risky in itself...its hard to say atm. Ugh, I hate it, I hate it, I hate it. DTD!!! Gees, brave girl! DH has been hinting at it too, esp since my mum will be here soon...but, TBH, its the last thing on my mind. I dunno..see how it goes. I'm still keen to meet up too...I haven't ventured out in the car with him on my own yet so it would be good to get some practise! Maybe all the Perth girls could catch up one day...what do we all reckon??

Rose - I read back on some of the earlier posts...sorry to hear you were diagnosed with PND...there were a few times I thought i was heading that way myself. Do you feel better on the antedepressants? I'm not sure what they do...do you just not feel sad anymore? Thats great Liam is sleeping a bit more, that would make such a difference to you.

Willow - Ahh yes, my poor nipple!! The crack was sooo deep, I can't believe the stupid MW didn't pick up on it...I didn't know any better and thought it was normal. Pfft.

Tilda - Oh my goodness, I would have been in tears too! But she's ok, so dont' stress!!! Poor little mite! So, you don't wrap Matilda any more? How about everyone else? I still wrap Michael most of the time, tho I've noticed he likes sleeping with at least 1 arm out now.

Ok, thats enough for today, I'm meant to be doing the housework...my mum comes tonight and we haven't given the house a good clean since we came home from hosp! Nearly finished tho...

Have a lovely Sunday girls :)

Hi everyone! I've been reading up on all of your posts but haven't had a chance or felt much like posting myself.

My mum spent New Year's in hospital. She had a clot in her neck from the pic line they put in for her chemo. She's home now, but it'll be 3 months before it resolves. She had a blood transfusion and her second lot of chemo last week which perked her up for a couple of days, but is back to feeling sick of herself. I really wish I could help her out more, but I'm so busy with Amelia. I took Amelia to see her last week while I helped take her Christmas tree down, but Amelia was really unsettled and Mum got grumpy and said some mean things. So now I'm reluctant to visit as its too stressful if Amelia isn't her happy self.

On top of that, we're back to having a lot of wind pain to deal with. I stopped using the Infant's Friend as Amelia seemed to spew a lot more with it. She was feeding so often during the last heatwave, and I was drinking so much water, that we really built up my supply. She's back to feeding every 3 hours now so the last few days I've been engorged before every feed. It's settled a bit today. But Amelia was screaming in pain in the evenings. She also had really watery/frothy poos. I did some research and found out that oversupply can lead to a foremilk/hindmilk imbalance which can cause a lot of wind. Yesterday I tried doing 2 feeds in a row from the same breast (she's only ever fed from one side per feed) to help her get more hindmilk and that seems to have made some difference. Amelia was also gulping and choking a lot because I had such a fast flow but expressing a bit before each feed has taken care of that.

I've also started 'wearing' Amelia around home. Keeping her upright makes her more comfortable when her tummy hurts. I'm using a hug-a-bub wrap and I LOVE it! It is truly hands free. I was using a bubba moe sling, but she would squirm so much and bury her face in the fabric. Plus I never felt comfortable enough to take my hands away.

Amelia is also sleeping in our bed now. With her wind pain, she's most comfortable on her tummy so either I or DH will sleep with her on our chest. I didn't sleep well the first couple of nights with her - I was too scared she'd roll off or I'd roll over onto her. But now I sleep really well. I also wake when she starts to stir which is much easier for early morning feeds. When she was in her bassinet in our room I'd still only wake once she was already crying. Now she feeds around 11pm and then sleeps until 5am almost every night. The only thing I'm worried about is getting her out of our bed. She hates being wrapped but wakes herself up if she isn't - unless she's with us. I'm not sure how I'm going to teach her to settle herself to sleep. She still seems so young for that, but I don't want to leave it so long that she develops habits that are difficult to break.

Between the baby wearing and the cosleeping, my grandmother and mum think I'm spoiling her. But I feel like a better mum for it. Whenever she was unsettled, I used to get so frustrated with her, even though I could see she was in pain. I felt like such a horrible mum and felt so distant from her. Carrying her allows me to get things done and I'm right there to give her what she needs without her commanding ALL of my attention. I feel bonded with her now and can be sympathetic when I see her in pain and am patient enough to rock and cuddle her until it passes. So it really is best to follow your instincts when it comes to your child.

Had our postnatal checkup with my GP today. Amelia now weighs 4.9kg and is 56cm long. That means she's gained 200g (from her birthweight) and grown 1cm per week. As for me, my tear hasn't completely healed. I go back to have it checked again in 2 weeks, but if it still isn't healed it might need another stitch. DH took the news that there's no chance of DTD for another 2 weeks pretty well. I'm not sure that I had his full attention at the time.

Sorry for the essay, but a lot has been going on. I won't get to persies as Amelia is stirring for her next feed. But I have been reading all your posts and think a :grouphug: is in order. Don't beat yourselves up ladies....we are all fantastic mothers for doing the best we can.

A quick question for those using cloth: What kind of covers are you using? I have some baby beehinds and a couple Itti Bitti Super Whispherers to use with prefolds, but they don't fit Amelia very well. They gap around her legs. Any suggestions would be great as I'm keen to get her out of sposies.

Hey girls!

Posting a quickie from my phone so if I miss anyone it is because I can't type with two Windows open like i usually do and replu To everything!

Eva is sleeping on my tummy as she is having some tummy pain so Im taking the opportunity to post. My parents just left tis morning which is why I hVe not been on at all! They were gaga over Eva and my mother was on the verge of tears this morning when she left for the airport ... So hard not having the whole family around but I have a trip planned to NYC in April to see the friends and famy I miss so much.

Carmey - I feel like a a cow. I have about 16-18 kilos to lose ( I gained 8 getting off the pill before getting pregnant)...I also gained 2 kilos since giving birth...all this talk about bf melting off the weight is crap as far as my jiggly butt is concrned :(

but DH bought me an eliptical machine so I have been trying to get on it during evas naps and I start seeing my trainer again this week. I also did my yoga video at home twice this last week but man, I feel that I have a looooooong way to go to get back to my body. Being this mushy is even making me reconsider having more than two children :(

Alison, don't get down, same thing happenned to me a few days back...hormones fat and pimply skin are just depressing. You'll lose the weight. Just be patient and you seem to be running around active and doing stuff ( more than I can say for myself at the moment ) so just try not to get down about it. We dtd and it hurt! I needed lots of lubrication which I read is totaly normal since bf dries you out a bit...does the sexiness ever stop??? Between the pain and jiggly everything I have to say I have been avoiding dtd a bit which is so unlike me. DH sees what's up and is being nice about it, very cuddly but not putting presssure on me...I think the pain is more from lax perenium muscles than anything so try keeping up your kegels...

Beany, So glad to see you back! Don't feel bad about the bf, as long as your litle man is healthy and happy you are doing the right thing. Lord knows breastfeeding is much harder than it is made out to be! I am so sorry to hear about your mil - I know nothing I can say will change the situation but I am thinking of you and your family and hope she recovers fast!

Hannah, I had the exact same frothy poo thing! It is a hindmilk problem! Keep feeding her twice in a row on the same side and it will clear up in abut a week or so...I had the exact same thng with Eva! Also for any gassy babies, DH got me some organic fennel infusion tea and I have to say it works wonders!!! Eva has sme gas but way less and she can tolerate it better, she just whines and squirms a bit instead of screaming at the top of her lungs in pain, so try to find that! The only thing is sye went from being constipated to having poonamis!!! I have three bodysuits the past week covered in poo up to the neck! But I would rather have that than gas and constpation any day! I also got glycerin suppositories when she was having the hindmilk problem which helped her poo during that awful period but only used them when she was in a lot of pain and had not gone for a few days...

Rose, good luck getting Liam into a Sched...eva is a catnapper too...it is turing since you feel like you have no time between feedings, but e a has started giving me one longer afternoon nap where I try to do as much as possible...I hope he settles down a bit soon.

Willow, hope Harry does the same!

Tilda, I am also still hvering between cosleeping and putting her in her bed, but it depends on how she is...some gassy nights sheis so restless that I have to put her to sleep on me then put her in her bed or next to me.

She's up, gotta go but ill come back and finish persies in bit!

Hi everyone :)

Hannah - the best covers I've found so far are Thirsties and Rikki Motherease, since they both have leg gussets which hold in poosplosions well :) The HAB is awesome, isn't it? I can't wear mine at the moment because it's too hot here (combine that with the hot flushes that I'm still having = unfun). I have a Bubba Moe sling as well, though Liam's not too fond of it.

beany - I think a Perth catchup is a great idea :) And yes, I definitely feel better on the antidepressants - I'm eating and sleeping better (both of which were a huge problem) and I don't have the massive anxiety that I had. Overall, I just feel like I can cope better with everything.

Alison - I think we're all in the same boat with weight. BFing helps to lose weight for some people, but others only lose weight when they wean. I guess it just depends on your chemistry and hormones. I lost a good chunk of weight in the first few weeks postpartum, but I don't think I've lost much since then. It'll come off eventually, though, especially when the weather cools down and I can walk every day again.

Liam's napping right now (hooray) - he's gotten a lot better at taking naps during the day. Basically, I put him down as soon as he starts exhibiting tired signs. Sometimes it takes a lot of settling to get him to go to sleep, but he will eventually drop off. He's a much happier baby for it, too. He's still waking 3-4 times at night for a feed, but he's gotten so fast at feeding now (5-10 minutes is all he takes, thanks to my fast flow and his super suck) that each feed doesn't take too long and I'm getting more sleep. Though I keep not helping myself by getting up after the feed he has at 6-6.30 and doing washing and bits of housework.

I'm over the hot weather in Perth right now. Very happy that it's supposed to cool down a bit for the next few days. Especially since I have running around to do this week - managed to schedule my first appointment with my rheumatologist for ages today, and then I have my six week check up with my OB tomorrow (even though it's actually seven weeks). Gosh, I can't believe that Liam is seven weeks old tomorrow.

Hi All,

Hope everyone is going well.

Rose_Red- Glad to hear the anti-depressants are making you feel much better. Don't stress to much about the weight it will come off eventually. Can Liam give Jett some fast feeding tips?

Brussels Great to hear from you.Hope you enjoyed having your parents with you. Wow well done on getting back into the exercise. I haven't even thought about it yet.
The only exercise I have been getting is the walking around I do at the shops hehehe.

Hannah- Sending lots of get well wishes to your mum. I hope Amelia's wind issues improve. Have you tried Gripe Water? I think it is similar to Infants Friend. I have been using that and it seems to help Jett bring up his pains.

Beany- Sending lots of get well wishes you MIL's way too. Don't beat yourself up for stopping the expressing it can be time consuming.
Just remember a Happy Mummy = Happy Baby.

Alison- Have you noticed any increase with the fenugreek?

Tilda- How is Matilda's eye? Don't beat yourself up over it, it was an accident, hope all is good with it.

Willow- I have also noticed the nappies are getting a little small time to go up a size.

I hope all you Perth girls have managed to stay in Air Con and out of the heat.

Well what a day I had yesterday. Jett woke at 4am and was unsettled all day. He had little cat naps throughout the day and ate constantly. The most he slept at once through the day was an hour. I think he would have had a maximum of 4hrs sleep throughout the whole day. I finally got him settled last night at midnight and he then slept til 5am had a feed went back down til 8am then we went to Medicare and the Clinic and then he fed at 11am and has been asleep since so a much better day today. Don't know what the problem was yesterday but I was exhausted and had a few breakdowns as I felt terrible cause I couldn't help Jett.

At the clinic today we had Jett weighed and he has put on 500g in 6days. The clinic advised that I am overfeeding him. I had been topping him up with formula but she has told me to stop that. She said when he is crying it is more than likely a sleep and settling issue not hungry. My little Man is 5wks old today and he weighs 5.2kg.
I feel terrible that I have been over feeding him. I guess it is all about learning.

Hopefully things will improve now that I know Jett isn't hungry all the time. I thought I didn't have enough milk.

We have our follow up appt with the Pediatrician tomorrow. To have Jett checked out.

Sorry if I have missed anyone.

:grouphug: to everyone.

Hi Lani - re what the health nurse said, Amelia gets formula top ups and when she's full she stops sucking or falls asleep, I'm sure they don't keep eating for the sake of it. Just be mindful that they are very anti formula half the time so might just be saying that so you don't use it? My health nurse is old school and doesn't have a problem with formula top ups, she said if baby is hungry they're hungry, especially while going through a growth spurt, maybe that's what Jett is having? Ask the paed tomorrow, I'm sure you're doing fine! As for the fenugreek, I think it's working although I'm finding it hard to remember to take them 3 times a day, you have to have them with food and half the time I don't eat lunch ha ha! Must be stricter as I think they are definitely doing something!

Hi Rose & BS - great to hear from you. Sounds like you have some fast flow there Rose, wish I had more of it! And BS you don't look like you need to lose that much weight, are you sure, you look great to me! I too feel like a cow, sux!

Hi Hannah - I'm really to sorry to hear about your mum, I hope she's feeling better soon. Must be hard to watch her going through that too. I'm not surprised she's cranky, think I would be too. Fingers crossed she gets better soon mate. I'm sure Amelia puts a smile on her face.

AFM - got another 6 hours out of Amelia last night, 2 nights in a row wahoo! She went to bed at 9.30 pm and woke at 3.30 am, fed and went back down until 7.30 am! She's also had a sleep this morning, a nice change from the last week where she's been catnapping all day and then waking every 3 hours again at night! I'm sure it will all change again soon so won't get too excited.

Oops, gotta run, time for her lunch!

Beany - you must be so stoked to have your mum here with you. She'll be such a great support. We all need a bit of mothering ourselves.

Alison - hope you're feeling better after your melt down. I know how you feel. But don't worry, we'll come good! After all we haven't really started exercising because of the CS. And it has been so hot in Perth even if you wanted to exercise.

Hannah - great to see you back. You've had so much going on. So sorry to hear things are up and down with you mum. Big hopes that she gets well soon and can enjoy Amelia. The hug-a-bub sounds great. I was looking at it at the shops yesterday. Looks as though it distributes weight realy well. Do you feel like it drags on your shoulders at all? I'm wondering if even my shoulders might cope?? I've decided not to worry about "spoling" Matilda. They're only little right now.

Brussels - its hard being away from family and friends isn't it. I know how you feel. Hobart is a good eight hours and two plane trips away from Perth. Your mum looked totally in-love with Eva in the photos. It would have been a really difficult goodbye.

Rose - Try and resist the urge to do housework at 6aItm!! I wish Matilda only took 10 minutes to feed. She's so on and off that it takes forever sometimes.

Lani - Matilda's eye is fine now thank god!! The doctor just laughed when I told him about it today at her vaccinations. Weid how they have unsettled days for no apparent reason. Glad Jett is giving you some respite today! Don't worry about overfeeding Jett, it won't have done any harm and its great news your supply is fine. Its hard to tell the difference somtimes between a tired cry and a hungry cry.

Sorry if I missed anyone and hello to those who are checking in.

AFM - I'm an aunty for the first time!! My sister-in-law had her baby girl on the weekend. And I think I'm related to a future olympic basketballer. She was 4kg and 58cm long!! That's 4cm longer than Matilda at 5 weeks old!! Poor Matilda will have a cousin that towers over her LOL. And my SIL only took gas!! I haven't spoken to her yet but apparently it was all pretty full on. Matilda had her first set of vaccinations today. I'd spent all morning trying to get her to sleep and then had to take her to the doctor 2 hours after she finally settled. She woke up at being *****ed, squealed and went straight back to sleep. baby's sleep patterns really mystify me. Anyway, better wake M up for her feed. Its been hours and hours - can't work this girl out sometimes

BS - Glad you enjoyed having your family around. After reading your post I looked up fennel tea. Apparently fennel can also increase supply, which I don't want to do. I did find out that tea can be made from caraway seeds which also help with gas. Will have to try to get my hands on some. I'm glad Eva is doing so well now.

Rose - Glad that you and Liam are both sleeping better. Woohoo for efficient feeding. At least he's making up for waking you 3-4 times a night.

Lani - The infant's friend has turned me off using medications to help. We had a horrendous night on Friday after I gave her some. It has a laxative effect which really unsettled her. Feeding her 2 times in a row on one side to give her more hindmilk seems to be helping, and my supply is starting to settle down again.

I'm glad Jett had a better day yesterday. It's so hard when they're unsettled and we can't do anything, isn't it? Don't feel bad about overfeeding. I agree with Alison, babies don't eat if they're not hungry. But they do like to suck when they're unsettled. Amelia looks for boob when she's about the spew lol. But 500g in 6 days seems like a lot so he might not need the formula. Talk to the paediatrician about it and keep an eye on his weight gain over the next couple of weeks. It could just be a growth spurt.

Alison - I'd be cranky if I was dealing with bowel cancer too. The other day was hard since she and Amelia were both so unhappy - I didn't know who to comfort first.

Try not to worry about your weight too much. I now think my initial weight loss was due to a loss in appetite for a couple weeks after the birth. My weight hasn't changed for the last 5 weeks. My mum told me that the weight will melt off after several months of BFing. Besides, its been so hot in Perth. Hopefully once it cools down and you have a chance to get more active you'll feel better.

Tilda - Thats what I love about the hug-a-bub, it doesn't drag on the shoulders at all, as long as you make sure it is really tight. It comes with a DVD to show you how to tie it properly. Because bub is pressed so close to your body, their weight isn't entirely held by the shoulders. There is also a fair amount of support at the hips. Next time you're at the shops ask if you can try it with Matilda to see if it does work for you.

Congrats on becoming an aunty! 58cm! Wow! Amelia is 7 weeks and is still only 56cm. You might be right about her being a basketballer.

Hi girls just a quick one I'll do perssies later had a day where Harry doesn't want to be put down and whenever he's awake he wants to eat, I'm guessing another growth spurt.

Question for those with the Hug a Bubs, are they easy to use? Can you get them in and out without too much stuffing around? I think they look great just wondering how user friendly they are?

Hi willow - I love my hug-a-bub! It was a bit daunting when I saw how much fabric is used, but the DVD explains how to put it on and get bubs in. Getting bubs in and out is fairly easy. The only thing is that the fabric stretches so if you take bubs out you need to tighten it again before you put them back in.

Hi Girls - I didn't get on much yesterday as was out most of the day. I did a stupid thing though, had a friend pop in unexpectedly which made me late for an appointment so in my rush to get out I forgot to shut Amelia's door (I was going to go back and do something) before getting in the car and drove out and hit the garage wall, put a nice scratch and dent in my 6 month old car door! I burst into tears as it frightened me. It's not that bad really but still, could do with being without a car while it's at the panelbeaters!!! grrr. Amelia has been great though, she's sleeping 6 hours for the last 3 in a row and after her 4.00 am feed she goes back to sleep for another 3-4 hours, it's great and also more settled in the day, perhaps last week was a growth spurt as she was so unsettled last week and wouldn't sleep at all in the day! She's in her rocker at the moment and she's all excited and has started kicking her legs so the thing rocks, so cool! Gosh they change quickly don't they!

Now sorry for no persies, I need to vent girls. Will try and cut the story down.....we have DH's mates funeral this Friday (he passed away from a heart attack at aged 33 a few weeks ago), anyway, there's this girl who they used to be friends with, she lives in the UK now, well she used to be in love with DH (not the other way around) and she even used to send him text messages while he was with me in the beginning until he told her he was with me and to leave him alone. Well, he contacted her to let her know about their mate as they were in touch still and he wasn't sure she'd heard (go figure considering it was on Facebook but anyway). Get this, she's flying back for the funeral and DH being the Mr Niceguy that he is has offered to pick her up from the airport at 1.00 am on Friday morning and his mum offered her to stay at their house (he daren't ask me)! Now, call me jealous but this girl had the hots for him and hello why can't one of the single guys without a 7 week old baby get up at 1.00 am and go pick her up. The airport is 45 minutes from our house as it is!!!! I'm so angry at him right now and he doesn't get it. He just said I'm jealous and being stupid as he loves me not her. I tried to explain it's not a trust thing it's just weird after not seeing her for 5 years why he has to play the good samaritan when there's other mates who know her who don't have a 7 week old baby at home! He said I could come to the airport with him, yeah right, I'm going to wake Amelia up at midnight to take her to the airport to pick up someone I've never met who also had the hots for you, WTF!!!!

Anyway sorry, probably sounds immature but it's really bothering me and I'm so unhappy about it but he just doesn't get it. I told him girls don't think like guys......I've seen her FB messages to him as he shows me and she says some weird stuff and ends her messages with xx's....my male mates don't do that!

Sorry girls, had to get that out!

On a happier note, Amelia has her 6 week (at 7 weeks) paed check this arvo so looking forward to that. Will check back in later with the results. Hope everyone is having a great day so far. Thanks for listening to me, what would I do without you all. xx

Hi Alison:hug: That would definitely **** me off too!!! Especially at the moment with our hormones still not right and not to mention lack of sleep!
I'm sure your DH's intentions are very innocent and he's being helpful and all that, BUT, I completely understand how you're feeling and I would feel exactly the same way! Sometimes men just don't think:wall: Does his mother know how you feel and about the history? I'm sure she's just being nice but I also wouldn't be too pleased with her hospitality either.
Don't feel silly for feeling that way it's only human...or female...or both. I'm sure you have nothing to worry about, but he really could have considered your feelings a little more specially as you've just had a baby:hug:

Thanks Willow :hug: Like you said, I'm p'd off with MIL as well, she just popped in actually and I so wanted to say something but I chickened out. She wouldn't have a clue, they are the type of family that would think I'm being silly and not think anything of it hence why they've offered to do what they have! What makes me even more annoyed is DH said he didn't think he'd have time to come to the paed with me and Amelia this afternoon, so no time for your daughter's appointment but can make time to go pick up her at 1.00 am in the morning! Seriously, if he doesn't come today I'm going to king hit him!:o

OMG Alison:angry: I would be so P***** with that too! ...I bet if DH was to read this he'd be rolling his eyes thinking stupid hormonal women. But really if he already knows you're not happy with the 1am airport run then he should be making big efforts in every other area to make up for it! I wonder if the situation were turned around if he would be ok with you going to do the pick up at 1am?? Grrrr Hang in there at least you have us to vent to. :wall:MEN!:wall: ...& IL's:wall:

Hannah - thanks for the feedback on Hug a Bub. I think it would be a good idea for me to try it out first if posible. The other thing I'm worried about is that Matilda wil feel her movement restricted too much. She hates being wraped or restricted.

Alison - deary, deary me. Silly DH. Surely he should be able to see that picking this girl up at all hours is "inappropriate". He probably sees no problem because he doesn't think anything of this girl. I'm sure its all completely innocent but its still really inconsiderate. BTE I forgot to reply toyour question about the bambooty nappies. I dont' think I'd put them in the wash with normal clothes. I just wait until there's a load of them and that doesn't take long! They do take a bit of drying though which is the downside.

Willow, how's it going? Is Harry becoming more settled? And I've been meaning to ask, how is motherhood this time around after such a big break between kids? Is it different being older?

Hi everyone else!! Hope you're bubs are being kind to you.

Well it's been a pretty full on 24 hours. Th pamphlet they gave me after her immunisation yesterday said she could be a bit "unsettled and grizly. More like hysterical. The poor little thing was SO unhappy. After I calmed her down weirdly the only thing that did it was reading Winnie the Pooh) if I even tried to shift position she would scream. She has never been like that. This morning was a completely different story. Lots of smiles and a big sleep. But then this afternoon she refuses to sleep and is getting really grumpy. DH is out taking her for a walk right now. I really hope she doesn't get hysterical again.

But you know what. I LOVE being a mum. This has been the best thing I've ever done. DH broke my heart the other day when he said that if he'd known what it meant he would have done it all much earlier. I've only been bugging him to do it for years now LOL. Well I should go and do something about dinner while I don't have a baby on my boob!

BTW Perth girls, I think I'm coming back for a couple of weeks at the end of February so maybe we could all catch up.

Hi Girls - thanks for your support, it means a lot.

Hi Tilda - OMG would love to see you when you come to Perth, yay, I'm excited now! Keep me posted and we'll organise something for sure! What do we owe the pleasure of your visit for? :dance: Poor Matilda, hope she's settled soon. I'm dreading that, Amelia is having her 8 week needles next week, I'm not looking forward to it hurting or or the unsettled days it might give her. Booooo.

AFM - took Amelia to her 6 week paed check (at 7 weeks)! DH didn't make it so he's in the crap tonight when he gets home, I'll be turning the tap off I think for a bit ;) Everything went well and Amelia is nice and healthy. He did say she has a small chin which is why her mouth is open a lot and her tongue always down so he said I have to do exercises every day by holding her chin/bottom lip upwards so it learns to do it on it's own - how weird, a small chin! Better than a ginormous one I guess LOL. Also she has small nasal passages (I think I passed that on as I suffered with blocked sinuses a lot when younger) which explains why she makes so much noise with her nose poor thing. Might have to get some Fess sinus spray for her, I hope it doesn't cause her problems when she's older but it probably means blocked noses easier, poor thing. Otherwise all is well. He didn't say anything but she weighed nearly 400 grams more than last Thursday's weigh in at health clinic, that seems a lot in a week do you think? She's now 4.9 kgs. He said she's a nice size and has put on a perfect amount of weight which is good.

Well, gotta run, she's due for a feed and is telling me so!

Not a lot of time since I need to get my jiggly butt on the eliptical machine while Eva is down for a nap!

Alison, I would ne annoyed too, but DH seems to really be doing it out of niceness so whatever. Girls will always chase unavailable men (you like him, so other women inevitably will - or else you would have married an ugly fat dog :ROFL: ) I think the important thing is to explain to DH without being hysterical that doing what he did put you in a really insecure position and that you feel like his priorities are a bit mixed up. You should be careful not to yell at him or shut him out because thatis exactly the kind of stuff that might make him complain about the relationship to other people (like stupid cows getting picked up at the airport!) who might take advantage of the weakness to do something...

In the end darling, it is all about trusting your partner. I am not sure how your DH functions but I know that yelling at mine gets nothing done. I usually just say something once in a rational way and he always does what I want without me having to give orders...He has been working late a lot lately (again, his ambition is something I love, so I also have to accept that just like if I find him handsome and another girl hits on him - which I have seen happen many times in front of my eyes, especially when he is out for work since he is the owner of the company!!! - when he is working I let it be and have to trust him - but this girl is def sounding troublesome...) so instead of yelling at him at the end of the day, I wait until he gets in early and say wow, it is great having you here since I can get ready for bed and looik how happy eva is spending more time with you etc....so instead of yelling at DH for being nice and going to pick up the girl, try saying something like, You know we need you around...what would we do without you here, you help me so much especially when we have to go out with lugging all the heavy stuff etc...and also explain to him that you feel insecure enough as it is and that you don't know why he has to offer to pick someone up when he has lots of friends that can go...tell him that you always put Amelia and him first and that you are a bit surprised that he would go out of his way for someone who is not family or close friends by being out in the middle of the night.

If that doesn't work - throw a plate at him :ROFL:

But really, don't get mad, just try to explain it to him but if it happens consistently then you need to yell. Guys just don't reason like us and it can be frustrating...

I have to get Eva's vaccinations this week, she turned 2 months yesterday! Time flies! My stupid pediatrician never picks up the phone! He also works the maternity ward at the hospital so is not very available - I am changing doctors...but then I called the other one I wanted to go to and he never answers either....:wall:

Went to get eva's american paperwork in order yesterday and am doing the french today and israeli tomorrow! What a jet set little girl!

gotta go sweat now!

kisses to all mums and bubs!

Hi all, Im new to Belly Belly and am curious if others out there are experiencing the same as myself. Lily was born on the 2nd December, my due date was the 17th Dec. I had a natural labour - 4 hours and 35minutes and am breastfeeding only. The last 2-3 weeks Lily has been quite unsettled, normally around 7.00 am- 10.00 am and from 6:00 pm -11:00 pm. During the day she's normally okay, as long as we're at home and she's in her cot. To settle her I rock her or dance around the house, which can be quite tiring. Last week my husband suggested we put the hair dryer on and it seemed to settle her, but the last few days it hasn't worked. We thought it might be wind and have tried infacol and gripe water, she doesn't seem to like either and neither work. I am breastfeeding only and dont think my milk is low asI have plenty of it and she has been and she is latching on well. During the night she will sleep approx 2-4 hours. Feeds inbetween take approx 20 minutes, normally during the night its feed and sleep and we have had no issues. Friends have suggested I give her the dummy but she doesn't seem to like it as she spits it out and gets even more frustrated.

There she goes again! Must go.............

Looking forward to your replies!

Kris

Hi Kris - welcome to BB! Lily is such a gorgeous name, was one of my other choices. :p Sounds like you had a nice quick birth lucky you, I ended up with an emergency c-section which was disappointing! My little girl Amelia was born on the 30th November but I stayed on here as all my BB friends from the pregnancy thread were on here and I love them to bits! Can't believe Amelia is 7 weeks old already, time flies! Lily might be going through a growth spurt perhaps? Amelia was very unsettled last week and had cat naps and bouts of crying etc., she's back to normal this week thank goodness. Amelia isn't a windy baby but some of the other girls have mentioned Infants Friend so maybe you could try that? To settle Amelia at night for bed time I play a baby relaxation CD that I bought from Target, it's really good and works wonders. I probably haven't helped much but I'm sure the other girls will give some good advice too. Stay on here though, it's a great way of talking to other girls and having a good goss and vent! It keeps me sane for sure! I think remember too babies are changing all the time, I'm new at this also so it's hard at times. If only they ame with instructions huh! Hope things settle for you soon. :hug:

Hi girls,

Sorry I've been off the radar over the past few days, have been flat out.


Jack had his immunisation needles today and the poor little lamb is really unsettled. He cried and I cried when he had them. I hated seeing him in pain.

We also had his 6 week check and he's 6.3kg.:o I have a chubby bubby!! :D And he's 60cm so I bet he'll be tall like DH and I.

Oh, and for you guys who have DTD, we did it last night, too. It was a bit scratchy or something down there, so will def get some lubricant happening next time!

Alison and BS, I know what you mean about feeling gross and jiggly etc. I'm the same and it does really get me down. I hate only having a limited wardrobe because I can't fit into any of my old clothes and I really don't want to go and buy bigger sizes. I honestly think I'm a size 14 in the butt at the moment and before I was in size 8-10. And my tummy is literally like a tyre all around my waist. Plus, I have a muffin top. You guys are the only people I can be honest with about it because all my friends and family always say, "Em, you just had a baby". But they don't know how gross it feels. You know?

Anyway, I've started running every second day and will go back to the gym and swimming next week. Hopefully that starts to help things out.

Sorry, whinger alert tonight! I just feel crappy for some reason.

I haven't had time to read through everyone's posts but will hopefully tomorrow.

Oh, hi Lilyzara and welcome. I'm not sure what you can do for your little one, but perhaps it's just a growth spurt?

Love to you all.
xx

Alison - I don't blame you for being upset. I would be too! I'm sure DH's intentions are innocent. Men just don't think sometimes. But he should have thought more about you and Amelia, especially given your meltdown the other night. I really love BS's suggestions.

Glad the paed appt went well. You did say that Amelia had a growth spurt last week so 400g probably isn't anything to worry about if that's the case. If the doc wasn't concerned, I wouldn't be either.

Tilda - Amelia hates being wrapped too and can get quite wriggly in the hug-a-bub. She hates having her head covered so I usually wait until she's asleep before covering it. But once she's asleep she sleeps really well and when she gets restless I can just wriggle or walk around a bit and she goes right back to sleep.

BS - I love the way you handle DH. I'm going to have to try that with my DH. I'm struggling to take care of myself properly as well as Amelia and I really need DH to look after me more, but haven't found a way to get the message across yet.

lilyzara - Welcome and congratulations. I also have an Amelia born on Nov 30 (she was due Dec 10). A few weeks ago I was having problems with Amelia not settling - she would be crying from 7/8pm until 12/1am. According to Robin Barker, the author of Babylove, most babies will have unexplained crying episodes at least once every 24 hours. But that doesn't help much when it goes for 5 or 6 hours at a stretch. Google 'dunstan baby language'. It explains the 5 crying sounds babies make and what they mean. I found that really helped me to interpret Amelia's cries. She has had a lot of lower wind issues and when she got hungry as well she would be so hysterical that I didn't get hunger cues and wasn't feeding her. Now that I'm much more confident in knowing what she needs she doesn't have those long unsettled periods anymore. Not sure if this will help you or not, but it can't hurt to try.

Carmey - Wow Jack is getting to be a big boy. Hopefully he'll settle down after his injections soon. Sorry you're feeling crappy - I think we all have days like that. Maybe you'll start feeling better once you get into your new exercise routine.

AFM - Well feeding Amelia from one side for 2 feeds in a row seems to be doing the trick. We had our first normal poo in over a week today and it was huge! Before becoming a mum, I never thought I'd find poo so interesting LOL

Gotta go, Amelia's just woken.

Hi everyone,

Hi lilyzara and:welcome: My little one Harry is 6weeks old and I'm BF as well, he's never been very settled and has been having 2 1/2 hours between 8pm & 10.30pm of inconsolable screaming. I was assuming it was due to tummy/wind pains, the last 2 nights have been better he's been very unsettled but not screaming for the whole time so now I'm wondering if it was related to something else, maybe a developmental stage? There is a book I have called The Wonder Weeks which explains unsettled behaviour at various times when your baby is making developmental leaps. It is really hard to work out what's going on with your baby hang in there it will get easier.
Have you tried a bath to try and settle her? I know some bubs love that.
Like some of the other girls have said it could also be a growth spurt Harry is very unsettled when he has one.
It's really hard too when something that used to work to settle them doesn't any more, Last week Harry liked you to sit and rock him whereas this week he prefers us to stand /walk with him up on our shoulders...so you're definitely not on your own with an unsettled changeable baby!
Maybe a sling? Have you tried one out?
Good luck keep us posted on how you go, hope to see you posting in here again we're a good group:p

Hi Tilda Well 3rd time around after a long break has been good, I'm much more educated and seem to have more patience. I don't get as intimidated about advice from older mums/grandmothers and do things my way the way that feel right for me and that works best for me, and I'm not so scared to disagree with advice I don't feel is right for us.
I must say though I've found the lack of sleep harder to cope with this time round!
As for Harry being more settled, well the last 2 nights have been a lot calmer which has been great! But I'm trying not to get too excited about that in case it's temporary and through the day he still only has small naps in between feeds which means I don't get a lot done so the house is pretty horrible:o But it's not forever they're only this little for a little while.
I'm glad you're loving being a mum it is a great feeling, don't be too hard on DH it's not something you can describe or imagine until it happens...although would have been nice to try it and see a little sooner if that's what you wanted:wall::D

Hi Hannah Thanks for the info on the Hug a Bub I think I'll look at getting one. Have you tried hands free BF in it? I looked on the website it said you can do it just curious if it's easy or not? If it works it would be great for us Harry eats more than he sleeps so if I could do mobile hands free feeds I'd get some stuff done around the house too.
Glad the poo issues are clearing up ...and yes poo/wee/spew all sorts of gross stuff becomes very interesting:lol:

Hi Carmey you can whinge all you want on here that's what we're here for! The wobbly bits and extra bits can get you feeling crap and I know hat you mean about the limited wardrobe not only do most of my pants not fit, then if I can't get my boobs out of the tops I can't wear them either:doh: Round the house I don't mind pulling up my shirt but if I'm out I'd rather not have to lift my t-shirt up from the waist to feed so that everyone can see my tummy rolls!

Hi Alison Glad the doc went well...apart from the small chin and nasal passages. I never though having a small chin would require exercises, well you learn something new everyday!

Hi BS:rofl: Throw a plate at him Love it! Sounds like me try to be nice about it for so long then give in to the frustration!

Some one asked a while back about the cards from Snapfish and I can't remember if I answered. They turned out very nice and I was happy with the service from them too, and the prices were good.
I think someone asked me about something else a while ago too which I didn't answer, I'm not being rude I just still have a crap memory so just ask me again if you get no reply I need reminding!!!!!

Better go hang the washing up before I forget that too!
...Oh I remember someone asked about nappy covers! I've been using Bummis Whisper wraps which are good(and they are one of the cheaper ones) they don't have the gussets, but do still have elastic around the legs, but we haven't had too many leakages, I think it depends on your bub and how often they explode! I have heard the Motherese are great I'm going to try some when I see some on sale (I'm tight) I also have some pocket nappies that a friend gave us the brand is Babyland which I can't find much info on, the nappies themselves weren't that great but I have been taking the absorbent stuffer out and using them as a cover over flats and pre folds and they're pretty good. They're also great when I use a bamboo pre fold as the stuffer instead of the ones they came with.