Hey girls, I really don't have time for persies but just an update - yesterday Eva cried when I left her at daycare then ended up having a very bad day. She had four watery poos and her bum is burned bare! They called me at 3 to tell me to come get her because she could not take it anymore. She has no skin left in that area all around her bum and girly bits...I was outside of the school when they called so I got her home and did my best to change her every half hour and did not use any products on her skin (except for the cream) - Her skin is completely raw and even bleeding in some parts What the hell happenned? I read that the teething can do this since it makes the poo very acidic and my friend told me her baby had the same thing and got teeth two days later (she told me it looked lmike someone had taken an iron and burned her skin, which is what Eva's bum looks like)...but I see nothing in Eva's mouth (although she is not very good at letting me in there at the mo)...I feel so bad for her...Every time she has a pee she whimpers like a little dog because it burns I didn't even bathe her last night - DH and I just ran some water on her with the showerhead and she seemed to appreciate that...I can't wipe or use any product on her bum so every change is very slow with a lot of caressing of her head. It seems to be getting slightly better, and I am staying on top of constant changing and cream application. I feel so bad for her It looks so painful.
So hopefully she gets out of this today or tomorrow...The poo is getting more solid and she is eating very well, so I can only imagine it is her teeth. I guess I have to wait and see. Did anyone else experience bad diaper rash with teething???
I have to get some work done since I don't know how much time she will nap for - I managed to get her to sleep with a tight wrap...She just stared off and dropped into sleep - I think she needs a bit of physicall restraint at the mo because no matter how exhausted she is she still manages to be physically active in bed or in my arms when I try to get her down - the wrapping helped her settle in about 5/10 min! I thought she would fight out of it because she hated it when we tried when she was smaller but I think she appreciated the forced stillness. She is even on her back - I put a pillow under her head and the maternity pillow around her legs so that if she wakes up and wiggles around she won't fall into an uncomfortable position. She is sleeping so soundly though, so I am glad I tried it.
Ok let me get some emails read, because once she wakes up my productivity is over (except for spending time with her, which is better
Just a quick one....BS, sorry to hear about poor little Eva's rash It must be so painful for them. But funny you should say that, because Michael has a bit of nappy rash for the first time in his life...and he is definitely teething. Its a dark pinky colour at the mo, no bleeding yet, thank goodness. He even clamps his legs together when I am trying to clean him. Poor darling It started maybe 2 days ago, which would coincide with when I noticed those bumps in his gums. Maybe try and have a look in her mouth when you get the chance...a good way of looking at her bottom gum (where the first teeth normally appear) is to play with her bottom lip...like, pull it down but repeatedly and fast so she thinks you're playing with her. Thats how I got to see Michael's bottom ones (top ones are much harder!).
Beany and BS - Just a quick one to say that both my boys got nappy rash when teething. I stop using wipes and use water and a clean facecloth instead (gently dabbing), sudocrem (basically any good barrier cream will do) and powder (helps to stop all the cream from sticking to the nappy, curash powder's the best), and lots of nappy free time. Craig got it REALLY bad once and I had to buy a special antifungal nappy rash cream from the chemist to clear it up.
Hope it gets better and you both see new teeth soon!
I am really, really annoyed. I lost a huge post last night which I hadn't saved. Grrrr. I'd replied to everyone's lovely advice. I so appreciate the support girls because its been a pretty tough few weeks. So what I might do is just do one big selfish post and hopefully cover things in it.
We've had a pretty good naptime and bedtime ritual happening for awhile now and it certainly helps. By the time we get to the bedroom often her eyes are all glazed and she's doing that pre-sleep wimper. So our naptime ritual is fairly short and begins with a nappy change, story, lullaby, then off to the bedroom for a feed. When she's asleep I've been wrapping her and putting her in the cot with her comforter up against her face. She used to wake up a little when I wrapped her and put her in the cot but she'd just look around and go to sleep. Oh and all through the ritual I try and use lots of verbal cues like, "nearly bedtime", "night-night". The bedtime ritual is longer of course and starts with dinner at 5, nudey kick, bath at 6, play, story, DH usually arrives around this time and reads the last story, gro-bag, lullaby, feed, bed. I've started trying to feed her at 6:30 now though so she's just getting a top-up when she goes to bed. But she doesn't always cooperate. Again, until everything went to the dogs she was even self-settling occasionally in her cot after the last feed. No more....
Other angles I'm trying to tackle it from is increasing her solids gradually to fill her up. I couldn't believe how much she ate yesterday! I kept having to top up the bowl. And I also introduced chicken yesterday which the CHN suggested might help. I'm also trying to teach her to use a sippee cup because she won't use a bottle because I think she needs more fluids than she's getting. We had a little bit more success with this yesterday. I was also worried that maybe I was overheating the room and over dressing her so I toned this down (more on this below).
Oh, forgot to mention we shifted into the spare room a few nights ago but I ended back in bed with her for the first couple of nights. Soooo, last night I tried a few more things you all suggested. But here is a bit of a running commentary. She did the classic overtired baby thing and woke up upset about 4 times between 7.30 and 10:30. We just cuddled her back to sleep on a couple of times. Once I was able to just pat her and give her her comforter (yay) then I gave her a 10:30 feed when she woke around that time. Then I thought I'd try and only feed as a last resort like Lani and then pull her off before she was in a deep sleep. We also thought we'd leave it longer before we went in. I lose track a bit but I think she woke up at 1:30 (that was a good stretch), I heard her cry out and then go straight back to sleep between 2 and 3, she woke at 3:30 and took a couple of gos to get down (including one shot by DH). Had to resort to feeding both times but very short and pulled her off. Then she woke again at 6. The room felt icy so I fed her, put the heater on high and a blanket and we didn't wake up until 8:30. And I actually woke her checking on her because I'd wondered what had happened!!! I'm wondering if she's been cold, not hot. So last night was a bit better (yes, that was a good night LOL!).
So, I'm going to keep trying to reduce the feed to sleep need at night. Basically its my last gentle option I think before I resort to sleep training. I think I'm starting to feel that the benefits of sleep training will outweigh the costs if things don't improve drastically. I don't think its good for her to have such broken sleep. She looks so tired sometimes and she's starting to wake up upset during the night which she never used to and I think that's because she's tired and miserable.
Can you believe how full on it is having a baby??
Anyway, sorry this was such a me, me, me post but wanted to update you on how things went last night. Will try and re-type my persies a bit later. Love to all.
Tilda - bummer about the lost post! i wish I had some answers and advice for you, I really do. Your sleep routines sound really good. How long has she been having disturbed sleep like this for? And do you know what her room temperature is? What do you dress her in at night?
But I know....it is definitely full-on having a baby, sooooooooooooooooooooo much harder than anyone had told me. But then, I remember when people would say it's hard, it changes your life, get used to sleepless nights...blah blah blah - even then I thought "yeah, yeah, it can't be that hard...". But GEES. It is HARD!!! I honestly think it is sooo much easier working full time! When I finished work I honestly thought "....and now to take it easy...". Pfft! Of course, nothing compares to those heart-melting moments when they look you in the eye and smile, and watch you from across the room, and laugh at silly things you do - moments like those make it all worthwhile. Just wanted to let you know you're not on your own
Did it again, lost a post . Oh well, will try again. So I'm sorry my personals are going to be a bit more abbreviated than they were.
Beany - thanks for your support! It means a lot to me. Its weird how you "know" its going to be hard, but it is somehow different to what you expected. I think things are more chaotic than I expected. I think I thought you either got an "easy" baby or a "difficult" baby. But its not at all that consistent. And every baby has their own "easy" and "difficult" characteristics and it these change on a daily basis. But you're absolutely right. It's worth every minute and I wouldn't trade it for anything.
Suz - its very reassuring to hear you feel more confident the second time around. Maybe I will to They can definitely smell your fear! If I'm a mess, Matilda is a mess. They are little barometers. When you used to wake Ryan up to put him in his cot, would he struggle? Most of the time if I put M in the cot partially away she'll start waving her arms around and get upset (but see more below)
BS - poor little Eva's bum!! It sounds so raw! Have any teeth appeared? Have any new foods been introduced that could have done it? Thanks for all that info on SIDs awhile back. I was so sorry to hear about your brother. What an incredibly awful thing for your parents to got through. But I think you're right that we worry too much about it these days.
Alison - how are you going? Feels like awhile since we've seen you. I might have to FB stalk you to check whether you've come down with Millie's cold.
Hannah - if you're reading posts, I'm thinking of you and yours.
Rose - It's just great to hear about Liam's turn around.
AFM - well I just want to write a quick update because I can her Matilda starting to stir. Well the night before last was a lot better. She woke a couple of times before 10, at 1.30 and 3.30. But last night....she was a bit difficult to settle around 10 and DH ended up doing it. But then she didn't wake until 5 . I gave her a feed and she woke up when I put her back in the cot, but she wriggled around and grizzled for a minute or so and then went back to sleep herself until 7. I am just astounded! The cruel, cruel irony was that we didn't get to sleep ourselves until 2am because of an out of control party next door where we share a wall with. Very unimpressed Sp god knows what it is now since we've tried so many things! The extra blanket, introducing meat, getting DH to do more settling, trying to feed to sleep less often, moving into a different room and not using a monitor (since its right next door). And I think she might have just gone back to sleep now after whimpering and babbling for a minute. Hmm, maybe not, there she is again. Better go.
Hi Girls - I AM here, I haven't been getting notifications again grrr! I haven't read through all the posts I've missed so will go back and do that now. Things are going well here, Amelia is over her cold - she still has a bit of a yukky nose here and there but she's back to sleeping great at night again, she's hardly even fussing through the night at the moment so I'm lapping it up while it lasts.......I fear when the top teeth start moving I'll be going through it all again. Boy was that week hard! She has decided 1.5 hour day naps are for losers though and has been waking after 30-45 mins, I refuse to get her up though as I know she's still tired so I just go in, pat her bum for a bit, walk out and cross my fingers, she almost always goes back to sleep for another hour! I have to give her points for trying it on however!
Anyway, I've got shanks in the slow cooker today (the garlic and herbs are filling my house with aromas that are making me drool).....so best go check it and get some washing off the line before Millie Moo wakes up. Hope everyone is well. xx
Lani - OMG, you must be feeling so stressed with little Jett's paed app outcome. Did they say it's normal for the head growth thing? Poor little Jett. Let's hope it's all okay - sending you lots of positive vibes. xx
Rose - the hands and knees was how Jack started, I think it was three days after that he was off. So you better get baby-proofed asap! I wasn't and we've paid for it. Another thing that I never thought about was to keep the floors free of anything that they can put in their mouths. I have caught Jack picking up tiny bits of plastic and paper and promptly shoving it in his gob. Scary! Good luck!!
Alison - that's a good idea to lay-by toys now. Good thinkin'! I might go out and check out what they have.
Everyone else, hope you have a lovely day. We're off to have lunch with a girlfriend on mine in the city. I'm thinking yum cha. YUMMM.
Hi Lani - you poor thing that must be so worrying.....try not to worry too much though, my nephew had a very large head and they sent him for scans etc as well, he's now 20 and doing journalism at Uni, he's really smart! So, he just had a big head, hey, must be all those brains Jett has! xx Let us know how you go, will have everything crossed for you.
Good luck at the toy sales everyone, I can't get there till the arvo as I'm having my hair done this morning....there'll probably be nothing left by the time I get there. With the Toys R Us sale yesterday one of the girls from mums group got there before they opened to get one of the Little Tykes cars and she said within 30 mins they were sold out. Who can be bothered being that keen! For starters Amelia has a 9.00 am nap so I can't even get the shops unless I leave her home with someone. Oh well, I'll get whatever's left lol.
What the hell happenned? I read that the teething can do this since it makes the poo very acidic and my friend told me her baby had the same thing and got teeth two days later (she told me it looked lmike someone had taken an iron and burned her skin, which is what Eva's bum looks like)...but I see nothing in Eva's mouth (although she is not very good at letting me in there at the mo)...I feel so bad for her...Every time she has a pee she whimpers like a little dog because it burns
I didn't even bathe her last night - DH and I just ran some water on her with the showerhead and she seemed to appreciate that...I can't wipe or use any product on her bum so every change is very slow with a lot of caressing of her head. It seems to be getting slightly better, and I am staying on top of constant changing and cream application. I feel so bad for her
i wish I had some answers and advice for you, I really do. 
Your sleep routines sound really good. How long has she been having disturbed sleep like this for? And do you know what her room temperature is? What do you dress her in at night? 
They can definitely smell your fear! If I'm a mess, Matilda is a mess. They are little barometers. When you used to wake Ryan up to put him in his cot, would he struggle? Most of the time if I put M in the cot partially away she'll start waving her arms around and get upset (but see more below)
Sp god knows what it is now since we've tried so many things! The extra blanket, introducing meat, getting DH to do more settling, trying to feed to sleep less often, moving into a different room and not using a monitor (since its right next door). And I think she might have just gone back to sleep now after whimpering and babbling for a minute. Hmm, maybe not, there she is again. Better go.
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