Registered User
Hi all. We went to the paed today for our 6 week check up. It looks like Robert might have vertical nystagmus. His eyes flick up when he looks at you - he's also not that good on maintaining eye contact.The doctor is arranging for him to get an MRI done to make sure that's what it is.
I freaked out a bit when he said, you stand here with bubs, I just want to get the eye doctor's opnion on something (there's a paediatric opthamologist in the same surgery). Then the eye doctor came in and said, no I don't like that, it should be checked out. I had a bit of a cry, but I'm doing okay. I hate the thought of Robert going under general anesthetic and getting the MRI done, he's way too small for that stuff. But I know that I'll feel better when he has it done so we definately know whether or not he has it.
I keep telling myself that it's no biggy. It's not life-threatening and he's healthy except for that. It's just not knowing and waiting that's pretty yick. I've been smothering the poor wee thing in kisses and cuddles all afternoon.
Oh, and he finally hit the 5kg mark.
And it's single figures tomorrow.... it will only be 9 days til DH comes home, I really need him now.
Registered User
oh Cass u poor thing having to do that by yourself, i cant wait for your DH to come home for you.
what exactly is it? like what do they mean by his eyes flick up? Iv never heard of it i dont think..I ant believe he has to have that done ,the poor little pet, he is to young to have that stuff done..I would be crying and upset as well, i know that its better they get checked out but it doesnt matter , its upsetting.
We are going for yours this sat, im scared silly i know but i duno,
Registered User
Hi Shell, I just copied this from online.... I'm ringing the doctor today to make sure we can have the tests done when DH comes home. It's not something I want to do on my own.
Nystagmus is the term used to describe unsteady fixation, where the eyes move back and forth when the person tries to look directly at something. The movement can be smooth or jerky. It can also be horizontal, vertical, oblique or rotary in direction. Nystagmus occurs in about one in 1,000 of the general population. Nystagmus varies with stress, emotional state and direction of gaze. People with nystagmus will often tilt their head in the direction in which their eyes are most still. There are many forms of nystagmus; two forms in particular tend to occur in young children. Congenital nystagmus Congenital nystagmus is one of the most common forms of nystagmus. It is usually present at birth or shortly after. Its exact cause is not known, although it is thought to involve some neurological defect. Some cases are due to other severe vision problems, such as congenital cataracts or albinism. In the absence of these problems, vision is usually only mildly affected. There may be some improvement in vision up to the age of 10, but it is likely that some reduction in the level of sight will remain. Spectacles, contact lenses and/or vision therapy may have some effect in reducing the movement of the eyes, but will not cure nystagmus totally. It is important that children with congenital nystagmus have regular eye examinations. Spasmus nutans Another form of nystagmus, which affects young children, is known as spasmus nutans. In this condition, the nystagmus is not present at birth, but develops during the first year of life and usually lasts for one or two years before disappearing with no lasting consequences. No treatment is necessary for this condition. An accurate diagnosis is vital so that appropriate action taken.
In other news the little man slept well last night. Between 12 and 3 though he was asleep on my lap. LOL I woke up at 3 to him gurgling and gooing in my lap - I fell asleep sitting up in bed feeding him. I must have completely crashed out. It took a while to resettle him after his 3am feed but by 4 he was in bed with a short wake-up just before 5 but he quickly resettled then he didn't wake up until 7 which was great. Three hours sleep for him made such a difference, he woke up so happy and smiley. He's sleeping now in his sling, just about to put him into his cot so he can sleep properly.
Registered User
Same here QB - the last two nights we have slept for over 5hrs.... I was stoked but also a bit shocked! My boobs were hard so I expressed, but aside from that, loving the long stretch till 3am.
Tobi did a 5 hour stretch last night. DH feed him at 9pm and I went to bed and he didn't wake till 2am! I had to keep checking the clock because I couldn't believe it and I was groggy.
He has been a lot more spewy lately but I suspect it is the cold because I think the mucus is running down the back of his throat and upsetting his tummy. Poor thing.
My man has also been a bit spewy the last week - out of nowhere - I hope it passes... loved having a baby that doesnt spew!
Today we went and got some photos done (shoot is free on voucher from hospital) and i spend $300 on some extra prints.... naughty but he will only be this age once right?
Registered User
Bree - the photo shoot will be absolutely worth the money! Its scary how fast they grow, you'll always be able to remember Ciaran as a tiny baby now.
We had a frustrating night. It wasn't that bad really I guess but I'm completely stuffed now. Lacie had a feed at 10pm which took her until 11 to finish and settle, then woke at 2.30am for a feed which is normal. I was stuffed so DF fed and changed her, then handed her over to me to settle her. She was wide awake, seriously her eyes couldn't get any bigger if she tried. I used all my usual tactics and nothing worked. She refused to settle at all. Her musical seahorse usually puts her to sleep in a few minutes but she decided it was more fun to try and touch it, and was gooing and gaaing and so on. It was very cute but a bit of a bad choice of timing. It took until 4.30 to settle her after a few bouts of screaming and a nappy leak resulting in a complete change of clothes. Then she was awake at 6.30 for another feed but luckily managed to resettle her until 7.30. She's sleeping now but of course I'm not sleepy so getting some much needed housework done instead.
Just wanted to have a whinge, lol. She's usually easy to settle of a night so I don't know what was going on. She's been a bit funny the last couple of days anyway so I think maybe its been a growth spurt. DF has a cold though so I'm hoping she isn't getting it. Also looks like I might have shingles, but luckily its on my back so can keep Lacie away from it easily. It would be awful if she got the chickenpox so young.
Hope you're all having a good morning xxx
Registered User
Roxxie - bugger the housework... get some rest! My my motto is do what I can, but if Im tired (like this morning) then sleep. As my little man napped from 7ish-8.30am this morn, I just stayed in bed with him. It was lovely! Feeling much better and more refreshed now.
Registered User
I've got my period back already, doh! It is back with a vengence, might have to look at going on the pill as I am still trying to get my Iron levels up and this is not helping. Of course Tobi has pick now to go through his 6 week growth spurt, party time...NOT!
Tried to do the grocery shopping yesterday with the two boys...never again, much too hard. It had to be done as we had no TP.
Damn, he is awake already, gotta go.
Registered User
QB - crap - how is that even possible to get your period already? Hope it eases off and is just a once of... thats gotta suck.
Registered User
Breesa- It has been 4 weeks since I stopped breastfeeding, but I had hardly stopped bleeding from the birth! I saw the GP (for the 6 wk check up)and she wasn't surprised but suggested going on the pill and not taking the sugar pills for a couple of months to give my body a break and get my iron levels up. I'm seriously considering it, I feel wiped out, worse than just not having slept.
BTW- Tobi had two poo explosions just now, had to give him a bath. So that will explain why he has been unsettled this morning however even though it is out of his system he still isn't sleeping. I hope there isn't more to come.
Registered User
My lovely mum sent me over a baby carrier. I've just finished vacuuming the floor and the little man slept through the entire thing in his new carrier. I can see I'm going to get loads of use out of it.
QB, it sucks that you got your period. There should be a law against it!! LOL
Registered User
I betta not get my period yet lol
We are getting a photo shoot done next week, omg the prices are so expensive but we have a voucher to get it done and one free pic which is good
Gotta love your mum Cass, u will use it all the time, i use mine , they just sleep through anything lol
Registered User
I tried the baby carrier yesterday out of desperation and it worked (whilst vaccuuming) but as soon as I put him down he woke up in 5 mins. It really does work, just wish my back was a bit stronger.
Registered User
We all can be that domestic goddess that lives within us!!!
Registered User
Hi All,
I had my 6 week check up at the OB, all is healing well after the birth.
I looked for a returns desk at the hospital to drop Willow off to ... but couldn't find one? Ha Ha.
We have moved to being fully formula fed.
This has been so hard and disappointing for me as I am so pro-breastfeeding, but the formula appears to helping Will to settle and I am getting some sanity back in my life.
I cannot explain it. I've done several ABA courses, I've read all the BF books, watched the DVDs etc and have all the info on BF being 'the good stuff', but it just hasn't worked out that way for us.
Formula feels like it is giving me back a bit of my life and my time.
I know I am struggling at the moment, the OB did the post natal depression survey thing that they do to gauge how the new Mum is going ... I scored 15.
At the time I thought 15 was a good score.
This was until my OB said they accept a score of 13, however 6 is the average.
C'mon, it has to be the ONLY test where you hope you get a low score!!!
So yeah, DH and my Mum are keeping a close eye on me. My OB feels it's all situational though ... if I were magically transported to a beach in Fiji with a fruit ****tail in one hand and a good book in the other, well I would feel 100%. True depression is when no matter where you are, nothing changes your mood.
My OB reminded me that how I am feeling is to be expected - this is all new to me, it is stressful when you have a newborn let alone a very unsettled newborn, I am sleep deprived and I am learning 'on the job' everyday.
I am HUGELY confident that things will improve, Willow will slowly but surely get bigger and better at getting all the wind out and things will begin to settle.
My OB said that I should see a remarkable improvement in her beahviour from now (6 weeks) to 12 weeks.
It sounds dumb, but just the phrasing he used has helped - by saying "her behaviour". This is the first time it has been put to me like this. Up until now I instantly think 'Oh it's me' ... I'm not settling her correctly, I'm not feeding her well enough, I'm not feeding her for long enough, I'm not getting the burps out that she needs ... but by him terming it as "her behaviour" I've realised that it's not me at all. It is 'her' who is unsettled.
I am doing all that I can and it's 'her' behaviour that has to improve.
OK, well DH is off for four days now so am going to stop typing and go and enjoy some time with him while Will is napping.
Have a great long weekend everyone!
Registered User
Hello - Been a chaotic week here. Sophie had her needles on Tuesday and the week was a shocker. She had terrible tummy aches, constantly farting and then massive poos late in the week that were putrid (tmi????) from the rotovirus liquid they have to drink. The health nurse said they do hear of it every now and then - so it was a week of screaming and little sleep but she was more settled on Friday and seems a bit better today. So back on the up and up!
She had her 8 week health check on Friday and weighed 5.14kg. The nurse said her fontanelle (spelling??) was very small at only 1cm so needs to be checked - need to keep measuring her head circumference to make sure it is growing okay - but she said should be no probs.
Soph is still very much a mummy's girl. Will only last in the hands of another for 15mins without crying for me - even with DH. My son loved wandering around with daddy - hopefully she lets go a bit soon.
We have been working up to 4 hour strectches overnight. Some nights Soph settles back into the cot (Thursday night was great) - but last night she just slept with me.
Baby bjorn a lifesaver as Soph will not settle down at all in the morning but is sleeping well in the afternoon.
Sophie flatly refuses to go to sleep at night until toddler is in bed - she forces her eyes open when they droop! Then she likes some one on one time for an hour or so - so generally she isn't going down to 9.30 (awake from 4 or 5 in arvie!).
Can't believe she is 8 weeks on Monday - where does the time go...
QB - Yeah for your 5 hour stretch at night!!! Sophie wakes up as soon as I take her out of the baby bjorn too!! Did it twice to me this morning! I just live in the bjorn in the mornings now!!!
Shell - So glad the infacol is working for you! I heard from a friend the side to side rocking is better too...good to know. Maybe I might hire one like Stacey did, since Soph will not go out of my arms!
Stacey - You are v lucky with Peppar. Good for you! Can't say I am not jealous though.
Cass - Baby Bliss by Jo Ryan is great. Check out her website as it has free routines to download and I found the best suited my son (I read heaps of different ones and they matched his development very well). They really helped me out with him as I had no idea what I was meant to be doing...I also love love love Pinky McKay's book and philosophy (can't remember the name of her book). Also Elizabeth Pantley's "No Cry Sleep Solution" is good. I read everything with my son - and these were my three favs!
Bree - Co-sleeping has been a life saver for me! Soph also needs the constant touch in the day...glad to hear I am not alone! Glad your first day went well...
Roxie - How are you feeling - shingles better??
Registered User
Hi Thrilled - You must have posted at the same time as me. It sounds like you have a very sensible OB who has given you fantastic advice.
With my son I had PND but was not medicated. I have a brilliant GP who worked with me. I scored 17 or 18 on my little test when I actually told the truth with my GP when my son was about 5 months old. I had been suffering in silence and eventually went to my GP in desperation. So good on you for being open and honest.
I found accepting the lack of control in my life helped and that time was going to be taken almost entirely by this new little being and that was okay helped me out! I also found getting out of the house (no matter how hard at the time) actually helped and so did exercise!
I had no support at all with my son - it sounds like you have a mum close by to give you a hand...that will really help!
Your OB is so right - after three months - you baby's behaviour is so different! In fact 4-6 months was one of my favourite ages with my son (who is now two). Keep the light at the end of the tunnel in mind - each day you are moving closer and closer to that light!
You are doing a fantastic job! Bubs behaviour will change and become easier each and every day! And you will sleep sometime soon!! I remember my son slept through at 8 weeks just all of a sudden..no hint beforehand...(here's hoping Soph will do the same but I have my doubts).
Registered User
HI All
Just a quick message - anyone else having much spew? Ciaran has just started doing little spews/dribbles after most feeds, and 3 out of the last 4 days has done a HUGE Projectile vomit.
Its messy and goes everywhere - not sure the exact cause so thought Id ask!
Cheers,
Registered User
Hey Bree yeah Hannah has Spews dribbles after a lot of feeds, i think its when she takes to much at a time that she does it
I always get the spews down my cleavage lol
Bookmarks