Babies born~September 1st-15th 2010 #1

Hi girls!!

Cherished! so great to hear from you! LOVE your ticker!! he is just precious!! :dance:
the mastitis is clearing up, but very slowly. have to go on a second round of ABs. the pain was bad for 2 days but now it's more a case of if you touch it, it hurts, but leave it alone and you dont notice...i think i got off pretty lucky with it!

for the lochia (post birth bleeding) it can take a good 6 weeks. usually it is fairly light by now (4 weeks in) and it starts off dark red, then goes red, then pink then a browny colour then it goes to a pale yellow CM type thing...
for me my clue that things were not good was that i never got past the dark blood and then HUGE clots where i would fill a pad in seconds...but if you are still bleeding heavily or more than you think is normal, then contact your OB as it can be a bit of a hassle if you are prone to low iron (like me!).

HPL: how is the sticky eye going? i find that it does come and go, what with all the vomiting and drool and the inability to cry tears ATM it's all a bit prone to getting blocked.

Annabelle: how is edward? has his cold gotten better? hopefully rupert has managed to avoid his cold! such a PITA when the NB gets sick as there isnt much you can do for them, except cuddles and the snot sucker thingy lol.

AFM: well we are truckin' along here pretty alright. some moments are just awful hard work, but for the most part we are finding our feet...and sleep lol. On friday night Marta only did ONE, yes ONE wakeup :leap: i know that i shouldnt be too excited as she is still little (and my boobs arent ready for it lol), but it was such a relief to know that she can do it IYKWIM. last night wasnt too bad either as she went down at 7 had a quick feed and nappy change at 11, then 1 (not so nice lol!) then again at 5.30am. the middle part of the night was a bit much...anything less than 3 hours kills me overnight lol.

she is stacking on the weight (have no idea how much she weighs...my MACH nurse appt keeps getting moved :wall:...as if second time mums dont need that support :wall:. BUT i am confident that she is perfect lol. she is no longer in newborn nappies.... :o chubba bubba :rofl:

this afternoon we have all the neighbours over for fish and chips, so the kids can run amuck and us adults can hang out in the sunshine (ahhh gotta love daylight savings for this reason lol). it's going to be mayhem as it will be roughly 20 + people in a tiny inner city backyard...ahhhh it will intimate! wish us luck bahahahahaha!

hi Cas, thanks, we think he's pretty precious too :inlove: sounds like a big party in your back yard! how do you find the time or energy to entertain that many people? We haven't had more than 2 people at a time visit us since bubs was born, heck even before he was born we didn't even have any people over, not even a baby shower. Weight wise I dont' think we will get bubs weighed until the 6 week check up with the peadetrition. We did get him weighed again on Thursday and he'd put on another 400 grams in a week so that's perfect. I have really noticed how much he is changing and even his hands seem bigger. Thanks for the info on the bleeding. From your reply I don't think I have anything to worry about.

Did I mention that bub has the hormonal rash on his face? It looks like a heat rash type of thing, it's getting better though. Has anyone elses bub had that?

leila had that hormonal rash! it lasted for a few weeks from memory...marta on the other hand has all the milk spots lol.

they are growing sooo fast...

the fish and chips neighbourhood party at our house went well yesterday! although we paid for it with poor Marta getting really overtired (i was having a great time and missed the signs lol). so she didnt go down properly until 9pm! arrgh! but oh well, we had a great time and was sooo worth a bit of unsettledness lol!

oopps gotta go, marta has just arisen...

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone!! :hello:

Cassius2: WOW I don't know how you can entertain atm... :clap: nicely done! My house is in no way visitor friendly atm.. Only family can visit our place lol... DP and I took bubs out to lunch in the city on Friday, it was wonderful coz Bub slept the whole time!!

Sticky eyes had gone since my last post, but this morning she has woke up with it again.. Poor darling, doesn't bother her in the slightest just looks sore... :(

cherished1: I feel kinda bad now telling everyone what Bub's sleep routine is.. I feel like crying when she has her moments of an evening, which goes for like 1 -2hrs, but yeah she does sleep pretty well.. If it makes you feel better the last 3 days have been hell for us! She has now decided that she will only go to sleep if she is in her rocker/chair NOT her craddle during the night ( as in her 7pm bed time).... But when she wakes up for her 3 or 4am feed she is more than happy to go to sleep in the craddle GRRRR...

The last few days she would go to sleep then not even an hr later wake up crying... We'd pick her up rock her, then she'd fall asleep we'd try and put her down again, but of course, like all babies do, she wakes up and then it takes longer to put her to sleep.. Poor DH on Thursday night, I ended up sleeping on the couch with bubs on my chest just so he could get some sleep... He is so my rock, he got up am 1.30am ( after she had been crying for an hour already) and took her from me so I could sleep til 3.30am when I woke up and took her back... He is amazing!!


AFM: Bub slept in the rocker again last night, she fell asleep at 10pm and didn't wake again til 5.00am which was great, expect my back is now killing me, I think too many nights on the couch, thinking we'll bring it into the bedroom and put it on the floor at least I'll get some sleep that way..

We had our first smile this morning, it was so precious.. Hope she'll do it again for DP when he gets home.. I really hate the fact that most fathers miss out on their child's firsts... First smile, First laugh, First steps etc, if we had it our way DP would be home the same time as me so we can experience together...

Questions Ladies: Controlled Crying / Self Settling.. Your opinions on the topic? When do you think it's an appropriate age to start? Do you think it's an appropriate technique to use at all??

We've been trying self settling during the day and Audrey is quite happy to put herself to sleep, she'll make a little noise, not crying, just the her tired moans, as i call them... I was just curious as to what you ladies do, or would do...

HPL: we do self settling...until she cries :rofl: nah, we mix it up alot ATM. i figure that Marta will have good days (like yesterday) when self-settling went without a hitch..ie she fell right asleep! and then we will have days (like today) where she just wont sleep and gets really upset...so although we have tried self-settling it just aint working today, so DH is currently in with her giving her another cuddle...cause he walked in on me in tears! i find it hard when she cries and is so upset for such a long time...she has been crazy tired and not wanting a nap since roughly 10.30am :o ...does not bode well for tonight eeeppppp!!!

Cassius2: YIKS :o I hope she's asleep for you now!! :shhh: baby sleep :shhh: I like the self settling technique, we try but yeah we end up going and getting her too, last night I lasted maybe 20mins, went in 3 times, but couldn't do it anymore... I too ended up very emotional, funny enough DP can't handle the crying at all, I think because I work in Child Care I might be a little better, not much though... lol .....

This one has been asleep since 11am, but of course NOT in her craddle, I'm just hoping that coz she's had a big sleep she'll still be wanting to sleep tonight, otherwise I'm in for a LLOOOONNNNGGGGG night ahead!!! :o don't know if i can do it!

morning girls :)

HPL we are not doing CIO, dh and I just couldn't bare it (such a softy) we are co-sleeping anyway so either dh or I are cuddling him as he goes to sleep. During the day it's no surprise that he loves to sleep on either of us which is honestly ok ATM for at least one of his sleeping sessions and dh and I love it cause we get to really connect with him. The other day time sleeps we try to put him down in his Phil & Teds cocoon which has the same head rest/suport thingo that we use in bed with us so I think he may think he's in bed with us KWIM? he usually settles in there ok too... If he doesn't settle in the cocoon because it's too loud or bright(we can move it around the house but we mainly keep it in the lounge room) we put him in our bed where he sleeps all night, when he's older and can roll etc we wont be able to leave him in our bed for day time sleeps so we will probably transition him into the cot by putting the cocoon into the cot and I think we will be able to trick him again :crossfingers: OK so that has turned into a "where does your bub sleep" post! sorry :redface:

Cherished1: Thanks for the input.. We did do co-sleeping while DP was at home, but I feel so bad him waking up when he has to go and work a 9hr day.... Audrey was a champ last night she slept from 10pm-5.30am!! However, she slept in her rocker chair, it doesn't bother me too much ATM because I'm at home, but I'm just thinking ahead to when I go back to work and bub comes with me, she'll have to sleep in the Cots at work, and I don't want her being hard work for the girls lol... I'm hoping though by that time (Jan 10th 2011 :( ) she will be in a much better sleeping pattern, as in where she sleeps. I know I am very lucky with her sleep pattern..

My SIL rang yesterday to see how things were, and I started to complain because Bub was stirring after only 2.5hrs of sleep, she said to me "You're kidding right? I get excited if Jaime has slept for an hour." I know that I'm lucky in the sense that she sleeps well, and I feel so guilty coming in here and complaining about where she sleeps, knowing that she will sleep for 7hrs at night, and 4hrs are 'naps' but I get so tired come 8pm knowing full well that she's about to start crying and there's nothing I can do for another 2hrs until she falls asleep, I get frustrated, not at her, just at the situation, then feel guilty, then get frsutrated again becuase we will try and put her down and she'll wake up again!! It's a horrible cycle, yet when she wakes up after a sleep I just look at her and fall in love with her all over again..

Am I making any sense or just rambling? I think rambling... Hope everyone is doing well... Take Care

hi girls!

HPL: my DH is the same. it really gets him all upset when she cries. i reckon it's cause he doesnt have the power of boob in his arsenal lol.

cherished: we swing marta in the cocoon. she loves it and i figure it's a bit of a workout for my arms bahahaha! a girl in my MG who has a baby a week younger than Marta has started putting him in his cocoon in the cot...she reckons he sleeps well like that!

well we had a bit of better day today :dance: i had her in the sling for a few hours where she would sleep and feed. and now is in her cot asleep and angelic lol. i had to get her up and cuddle her to sleep when she woke after her half sleep cycle (20 mins) but then she went down without issue...:crossfingers:

thankfully last night she slept well from 7 for a 10min feed at 11pm then again at 3.30am (we count that as awesome night in our house lol).

today we will have our first MACH nurse appt...should be interesting! wonder how much she has grown...i reckon HEAPS lol. she is HUGE!

HPL even though your sleeping situation seems like a dream to many others I think that any change in your regular sleeping pattern is goign to be disruptive no matter what it is. You'll soon get in a rhythm with bub and it'll be easier.

Cas what type of sling do you have? I've got about 3 and they are all the regular looking sling but I find them a bit bulky? dh has used it a few times now and bub sleeps well in it, I'm not sure if I'll use it but I do want to try it before dh goes back to work as it could be a great thing to get things done (like post on BB) during nap time lol

AFM today I went out for 2 hours without bub and got home and cried :cry: I didn't realise how much I'd miss him!!! he was asleep the whole time though in dh's arms. I went out for a massage and a chiro adjustment and now I feel great. I tried to document bubs sleeping times today as I'm concerned that he isn't sleeping properly during the day? I did start a thread on this but will ask in here too. How long is ok for a NB to be awake at any given time? I think DS is awake for a few hours in the morning and a few hours at night. The night one I don't mind cause I figure it's tiring him out for a big feed then a big sleep in bed but in the mornign I think it might set him up to be a little restless if I miss his tired signs and don't put him down... Am I making any sense?

cherished: we use an ellaroo ring sling (fits in my handbag!) and the Close Carrier. i find both awesome, but the Close Carrier is great for totally handsfree IMHO. the ring sling is good for running about shops and totally awesome for when baby is older as it does hip and back carry...(we used it until DD1 was 2.5 years old).

hmm as for the awake times...Marta seems pretty similar (most days...it's a variable feast lol). she is most awake in the mornings and again in the evenings. i am with you though in finding it tricky with the tired signs...sometimes we totally miss the boat and it can take half a day to settle back again :wall:

hi ladies -
just a quick hello, as i have't had time to read everyone's posts (and when i have had a chance iv'e had trouble getting on the site for some reason???).
where does the day go? i haven't got used to that yet!
apart from that, all's well here (apart from a bit of a sore boobie, but ok).
:grouphug:

hi milly!! a few ppl have had trouble logging in lately. i think it's since the big server crash a few weeks ago...sorry to hear about the booby. i too am not too happy in with my boobs. have yet another bout of mastitis :wall: hoping to get into the BF clinic at the womens...

WAHOOO! i got into the women's BF clinic for next friday :dance:...but we need to be there for the first feed at.... 8.30am :o now that's going to be tricky lol! eepp! so happy thought to have a day with the LC to see how to avoid mastitis again...

hope that everyone is going well! havent heard from muminalice or renson for awhile! hope you guys are travelling well :leap:

AFM: we have had some lovely days (monday was a trainwreck, but we have bounced back lol). marta is trying to giggle now...soooo funny!!! sounds like an old lady hahaha!
she is also *just* under 5kgs at last weigh in...so packing it on nicely!
also, we have had a few nights where she has slept for almost 8 hours :o. weird! but loving it! makes the days a whole lot easier to deal with when you have had some zzzz's lol.
today it is raining, so will catch the train into town and go check out some bargains at DFO...cotton on kids has some great clothes and we also need to buy some 'glow in the dark' dinosaur pj's for the neighbours boys birthday party...
also, we are busy getting ready for our first family holiday as a family of FOUR! YAY! we are going on a pretty massive road trip from melb to woollongong (just south of sydney). a friend has offered her beachside apartment and we cannae say no! think we have missed the whales so will have to be happy with the numerous dolphins lol! i do love it there!

Hi Girls!
Cass sorry to hear you have mastitis again! Hope they can help you out at the clinic.

As for us we have good and bad days. Bub still has unsettled times and does not really sleep for long stetches throughout the day. And I'm finding it hard to get things done. And I hate cooking dinner at the best times so these days it's pretty tough. I am jealous at the 8 hours sleeping cass! Our best has been 5 and a half hours straight.

We had our paed appointment yesterday. B is packing it on too! 5.2kg at 7 and a bit weeks. I also had my Ob visit and I am officially no longer diabetic Yay! It was kinda sad being the last appointment of what has been a positive experience this time for me.

Hi Ladies,

Well today I did it, I went out and bought a DECEND Breast Pump.. Now it's time for pumping... I did have a manual one that my SIL gave me, but I got the poops with it and ended up breaking it oops... So I know have 500mls (5 bottles) of BM all stored up for when bubba starts having a bottle with Daddy.... When I go back to work, in January :-( , I really want bubba to still be having BM so we decided it would be a good idea to introduce a bottle to bubs well before she started Kindy, daddy very excited that he gets to give Audrey a feed once a day... I just know how hard it's going to be for bubs to adjust to someone else looking after her, and I also wanted to help her and the girls at work ( I work at a Child Care Centre) so it wouldn't be too difficult... I try to get to work once every fortnight and pop her in the Nursery while I go and see my kiddies, that way she is slowly getting use the girls there.....

Will anyone be going back to work in the new year? Who will be looking after your precious bundles??

HPL, you could have had my breast pump. I have an Ameda double electric one that I'm selling (only a month old). But it looks like a friend is going to buy it off me.
I am due to go back to work in January too :( And bub will be going to daycare. I really hope I have him in a routine by then as I hate the thought of him being unsettled and them not being able to attend to him when he's upset.

i will be in a kinda work situation early next year as i am submitting my PhD and then start the process of begging for work...so Marta will start care end of Feb... (2 days a week).

that's a cool thing though that Audrey can get used to the room well before she starts! we are going to try and do that too. (but we have to pay for it lol).

today was a weird day. all went well, but i got too tired (we went window shopping...literally :rofl:) and lost the plot and demanded to go home! took Marta and i to bed and snoozed away. woke up much better and then invited the neighbours and their two kids over for dinner. was awesome!

MamaS: dont be too jealous about the 8 hours...they are soo hit and miss it aint funny LOL! like the night before last she was up every 45 mins until 9.30 then woke every 2-3 hours after that :o. then last night managed 4 + 3.5 + 3...which to me is as much as i hope for really...so the rare 8 hour nights are pretty special lol!

one weird thing tonight was that i try to feed to sleep with her...but she wouldnt let me!! she cracked it and demanded to be left alone to sleep BAHAHAHAHA! took me awhile to realise what she was crying about lol.

double the love :loveshower:

Hi girls, bit of a vent for me today... think sleep deprivation has kicked in :( I have noticed that every 2n'd or 3rd day I just crash and I'm good for thing for the whole day! I don't know how you gals with another child to look after do it... I guess you get used to lack of sleep hey? I was in tears today, mainly cause my body is sore from head to toe and I have a headache. Thank God dh is home to help do everything, far out he has been so wonderful, I just love my 2 special fellas. Sleeping during the day is still kinda a challenge, no routine really. He's still feeding well and is healthy. We managed to do a couple of outings over the last week, one into town and we managed a couple of bum changes and a feed and then on Friday (my birthday) we went out for breakfast and for lunch and he was pretty good. I'm still not confident to go out alone though and dont' even relaly like being alone at home with him... I guess my confidence will grow.

Sorry for no presies, I haven't really read back through the posts properly (((sorry)))!!! gotta go hope you are all well

:doh:

ahh totally hear ya cherished...the sleep deprivation is by far the worst part of the whole gig...BUT the upside is...it ENDS! that is why i am finding it much easier (i use 'easier' in a loose way...i too find lack of sleep horrendous) this time around 'cause i can look at my toddler and go: 'oh yeah, they do sleep!' LOL!

i remember not liking being at home alone with DD1 too. it was i reckon a confidence thing mixed with loneliness and tiredness...never a great combo IMO (in fact, even this time around i still like to 'plan' my days when i am home alone...at least one quick outing together, even if just to the neighbours or the local cafe for a takeaway decaf). things that i find make it easier are to sit in the sunshine while bubs slept in the pram, or to throw out a rug in the shade and lie together and BF and then pop them into bed. the fresh air really makes a huge difference to the sleep deprivation i reckon...that's why today, DH has laid a new lawn out the back :rofl: need mah sunshine lol! (i was in tears for most of monday as i was so shagged and over it...and stuck in the house 'cause the backyard was a desolate sandy building-site).

we too dont have much of a day routine. i have been finding that she seems to either go straight to sleep in the mornings and wake around lunch OR stay awake all morning, have a feed and then cry cry cry until early afternoon (joyful...NOT lol). but lately she has been having a 'routine' of sorts at night in that she wants to be in her PJs at 5pm, have a feed, a bit of quiet play and rest in my arms, then a bigger feed at 6pm that lasts until just before 7pm then she goes to bed for the night. On a good night she'll go until 1-1.30 for a quick feed, but on a more challenging night she'll wake anywhere between 9 and 11 and then 2-3 hourly from then on. man those nights SUCK lol!

AFM: not much to report really! had a fairly quiet day at the ranch. a quick trip to bunnings to get washed sand for the new lawn, a real estate agent came through to value the place...$100k above what we bought it for last year :o (insane), and yeah just pottered around the place. Marta basically spent the day sleeping in the car or in the Close Carrier (OMG, how AWESOME is that carrier??!! a neighbour has borrowed it for me and i am in love). marta is trying to giggle. it is soo funny. she sounds like a dodgy used car salesman when she does it lol. ah well, the wee poppet will get there. she loves games like when i blow on her face (thinks that's the best) or when i blow raspberries on her neck...(totally cracks up)...and she is ticklish!! so much fun to watch her laugh through that!

hope everyone is well!!

hey, I just bought a Close Carrier online yesterday :) I am looking forward to being hands free so i can gt stuff done!

We don't have a day routine really either. But I've decided I've got to try to get him in one seeig as he will have to be going to daycare 3 days a week from January.

Cherished, I remember hating being at home alone with Charli. I sometimes still feel like that this time too. I really wish I had family close by to pop in and visit thoughout the week while DH is at work.
I too have the odd teary day. Yesterday was a bit of a shocker. Unsettled newborn and whingy toddler was sending me bonkers. . . Every now and then I feel like the PND monster might be returning. I really hope not :crossfingers:

Other than that, we are just plodding along . . .

Hi Ladies,

It's been a while.. MASSIVE weekend my goodness it totally ruined our routine, poor bub, she's been out of wack since Friday... We had our first visit from my neice who was born 1 day before Audrey.. She's HUGE.. lol... my poor bubba is tiny tiny, my niece is already in 000 clothes, and Aurdrey still swims in her 0000.....

MamaSpice: thank you for offering the pump to me.. Unfortuneately I am having some issues ATM I have plenty of milk, for feedin bub, so after her feed I get the pump out and use it, BUT I don't have enough supply for the nexy time she feeds, which is usually 4hrs later... So I don't know what I'm doing wrong, or whether I don't have enough milk.. I was going to try and express 1 bottle a day to start with, but Bub is just sooo unsettled with her next feed that I just can;t stand her crying... Any tips on how I can keep my supply up to exclusively breatfeed, but also be able to express......

Cassius2: I am very lucky working in Child Care, I see so many new mummies and daddies dropping their kids off and they are so upset that they are leaving their babies.. Ladies from a workers point of view, your bubbas are in great care, and they do settle I promise you all that, it may take a little bit but they do settle, the carers will cuddle them and comfort them, and usually we fall in love with 'our' kids and get sad when they leave for school... It's going to be hard for me to even leave her, even though I can see her all the time, but I have a better understanding now what the parents go through, as much as I know the girls will take care of Audrey, no one can do a better job then me or DP, we're her parents.. When you start to take bubba into care, will you be staying with her? Or leaving her? At our centre if a parent stays with their child and only stays for 1hr at a time, for them to get use to it, we don't charge them... I'm pretty sure we allow 3 visits, to a maz of 1hr each before we start to charge....

Cherished1: Oh what I would give to have a full nights sleep!! I was totally exhausted last night, bub wasn't crying or anything, just awake in her rocker, but I could't keep my eyes open I asked DP to come in and her get for me so I could get some sleep... I don't know how you ladies do it when bub wakes up every 2 - 3 hrs.. I'm exhausted with bub waking every 4 - 5hrs, I seriously hope of next bub sleeps as well as Audrey... I take my hat off to you!!! I don't know if I could cope with that...

AFM: Hoping that today we get our routine back... Bub hasn't been able to settle unless she has been my arms, as much as I love mummy time, I really don't want her to totally depend on me and not be able to go to anyone else.. Yesterday was a perfect example, my sister came over, and wanted a cuddle as they do, and normally Audrey is more than happy to have cuddles, but she wouldn't have a bar of it, screamed for alomost 15mins, before I said I think maybe she needs a feed, the second she was in my arms, she fell asleep, tried to put her down and she'd wake up crying... Tried that 4 times, then went bugger it I'll just hold you, she slept for 4hrs on me, great, but I got a really sore arm afterwards lol....

Routine is so far so good.... Woke up at 5.30am, had a feed, went back to sleep woke up at 7.30am, (unusally small sleep, but I can handle that) another feed, went to sleep at 8.30am and still asleep now, so finished crossed she won't wake up again until 12.30pm maybe...

Enjoy your babies ladie... I'm sure lots of us are starting to get smiles and giggles!!! They're so cute!

MamaS: you'll LOVE the CC! i love that it is totally handsfree...well i do lol! was able to help DH put down the grass yesterday!!

i hear ya on wanting family around. i wish for that too. we have friends round, but that is still a bit tiring as you need to 'entertain' iykwim. need to have mum around so i can vege out while she cuddles marta or entertains leila.

i also have had moments where i am convinced that i am getting PND again. oh it aint a nice feeling! i called my psychologist the other day as i want to keep a close eye on it and she believes that for me, it is associative anxiety. because last time was sooo bad there are triggers that remind me of that time and can instigate a good old panic attack (or rather, heightened anxiety). so have been working on reminding myself that and not placing too much stock on it when i have had a tough day (cause let's face it, you gunna have them with a new baby lol!). but overall i feel so different and so much better and in a different place to last time...i just :pray: that it stays that way IYKWIM. i know how much can be 'lost' when you have PND IYKWIM...

HPL: marta loves to be held all day too...but i find that if she does at least one sleep in her bed then she is more settled overall (i guess she sleeps deeper there??). i am so jealous of those sleeping hours that audrey does :o!!! here we only get 2-3 hours max during the day...

AFM: big couple of days here. laid down the grass in our backyard :leap: very excited! it's still alive today LOL! been staring at it for most of the day.

also had our last formal appt with our midwife today :( i feel really sad about it. sharing such a special journey together and now that it's over it feels strange to say goodbye. at least we will be staying in some sort of contact as she has asked me to write some articles for the maternity coalition on Post Traumatic Stress Disorders following birth trauma. should be good i reckon! we also have the annual picnic with the group coming up in mid november and also DH and I have been asked to share our birth experience at one of the information nights. look forward to that too!

poor marta is a bit unsettled today. too much partying lol! hopefully she will be settled tonight...

Hey Everyone

Thought I should pop in and say Hi as my little man was born the 15th September. Sorry im a bit late to add myself to this group lol.

I hope all of you are doing well

hi Deana :hello: and welcome :welcome:

ha ha! with newborn babies no one is ever late...well that's what i keep telling myself when it's 3pm and i am still in my pjs lol!

I'm thinking that Marta is going through a 6 week growth spurt (read: wonder week). last night she fed 5 times :jawdrop: this after settling into a very cruisy pattern of 2/maybe 3 feeds at a stretch. oh dear my poor .y. are a wee bit worn out this morning lol. she wasnt unsettled or anything and popped straight back to sleep after each feed, so i guess she just has lots of growing to do...let's hope it's just going to be the usual 3 day affair (from what i vaguely remember from DD1...).

oh and Marta is getting too long for her 000 bonds wondersuits :o this is so weird for me as DD1 was still in 00000s at this stage and only graduated into 000s at 5-6 months of age lol.

we are also off to our BF clinic tomorrow. should be nice! my friend told me that she loved it as it was a day of being fed, lounging around on comfy recliners and hanging out with other mums and their young bubs...sounds alright to me...

Welcome Deana!

I agree with Cassius2 - you're never late with a bubba!! I too find myself in my pj's but not at 3pm - it's usually at the dinner table when DP goes - Honey, was bub good today? Did you get time for a shower.. I reply with - no, just didn't get out of these pj's - LMAO

I'm so so excited Audrey slept from 8pm - 4.30am - quick feed and change then back to sleep!!! and she's still alseep NOW!!!! YAY - well sort of yay, when i woke up my poor boobies where very hard and very full, when I took my breastpad off to feed bub - SQUIRTS EVERYWHERE - in her eyes, over the bed spread, the pillow - everywhere, I didn't know whether to cry or laugh - cry coz I had only just changed the sheets and bed spread yesterday :( - laugh coz Bub's face was priceless, she didn't know what to think.....

Cassius2: OUCH on the boobies!! I'm waiting for Audrey to go through that now... Just as I get use to good sleeps, she'll start waking up every 3hrs for a feed - lol - oh well, as you said, hopefully lasts only 3 or so days...

Guess I should go do something productive while Bub's is sleeping, washing, dishers, or just sit on the couch.... bugger, washing - those sheets are going to stink... have a great day ladies!

Thank you for the welcomes lol. I also find myself in pjs at 3pm. Blake is getting to the point where he doesn’t want to sleep during the day. Sleeps great at night with only one night feed at 2:30am every night, but during the day he feeds maybe every hour and a half to 2 hours, but doesn’t sleep and if he does dose off, he only sleeps for 20 mins max. Anyone else experiencing this?

How is everyone this morning?

:welcome: deana and congrats on your little one. Your feeding/sleep routine probably sounds like a dream to lots of parents. I guess if bubs is happy than I wouldn't worry. If you'd like it more spaced out you could try waking him for more feeds during the night to stop the catch up feeding during the day? I'm no expert though and honestly don't have a clue :think:

Well today I am feeling pretty good, the sun is shining and am off to a gathering at a BB friends house :leap: and I can't wait to see her little fella again cause he's totally adorable. DS has been really good and making life pretty easy these days (touch wood) he's still sleeping well and feeding every 2.5-3 hours although last night he went for 5 hours without food while he slept :hooray: hopefully that will happen every night! Day times are still a bit of a hit and miss as we are still trying to get into a routine. I am picking up the tired signs a little quicker now so that's making his day time naps better. Still not 100% on where he is sleeping though, sometimes it's on our chest, others it's in his P&T cocoon in his cot and some are even in his pram. I really want him to be in his cot during the day though so I will still keep trying to do that. As for getting about during the day at home while he's awake I'm trying the sling which I don't really like, he hates not being able to see and the sitting up positions he doesn't seem comfortable or is lop sided but it's ok if I'm sitting down rather than trying to move about. The baby bjorn is great! really comfortable and he likes it but is still a little too small to be completely hands free if he's facing out to the world as we need to make sure his head doesn't fall forward. He likes to sleep upright too so if he's facing my chest he falls asleep in it so that's a bonus. He's also liking the pram so I'm trying to go for a walk everyday with him too.

HPL wowsers that is heaps of sleep! It seems like such a long time without food? I only have my bub to compare it too... maybe he's just a little piggy wiggy lol I originally put in for maternity leave until the beginning of Feb and may extend that until the start or August. I'd say that is what I will do and I will need to let my employer know at the start of January if that is that case. My goal is to not go back to work at all and at this stage it looks like I will get to stay home which is fantastic cause dh is home most days too so we can really share all the caring. If I do go back to work it will only be for a max of 20 hours a week and even then it'd only be on days when dh is home so he'd be looking after DS. How is the expressing going? I think my dh would really like to give DS a feed too, expressing is something I might think about down the track?

Cass What's wonder week? is it common for bubs to have a growth spurt at 6 weeks? our little guy is still pretty comfy in his 0000 size cloths and have been wondering when he will be in the 000 cause I've got so many cute stuff waiting for him to wear. When DS was feeding so often a few weeks ago it really does drain your boobies doesn't it! Not nice so I wont be looking forward to that again. Another question how do you put your birth story in your sig?

MamaSr how is your close carrier going? They look really comfy

hello to everyone I didn't get to, I need to go now and cuddle DS as he's just woken up.

hi girls!

sorry, it has been a few days...hectic ones here!

Cherished: we too have a few different sleeping places for Marta. sometimes it is the pram, sometimes it is the sling or the close carrier and sometimes in the cot. my only 'rule' is that she needs to have at least one good sleep in the cot during the day as i have found (with both her and leila) that she then settles better at night (she is sleeping now in the cot beside us).
putting the link in your sig is easy: all you have to do is select the url, copy it, then go to your edit signature thingo and press the icon that is 'insert URL' (at the top where all the icons are...mouse over them it will tell you which one), then paste it in. there will be a part that is highlighted and that's where you type the title..ie i just have 'birth story'. I hope that makes sense! if not, shout out any probs and we'll try again!

the wonder week thingy is from this fantastic book (which i once borrowed but unfortunately dont own!) that tells you all about the wonder weeks and what is generally going on with bubbas (ie development wise). it is a sweet book that 'normalises' all the crazy stuff that babies throw our way when they are doing the growth spurt thing. apparently anywhere between 6-8 weeks is kinda the last big newborn growth spurt crazy. i remember it with DD1 as her waking a bit more and being a bit more restless generally (only for a few days though). then you generally find that after the wonder week they are back into quite a settled mode (well that's what i have found!).

Deana: lovely sleep that you are getting overnight! we only have nights like that here and there. Marta goes from 7pm to 1.30ish on a normal night these days then back for another feed around 4am-5am. back to sleep until 7amish. i can deal with it ok, but yeah I LOVE the nights where it is only the one wake up...as selfish as that may sound LOL!...l LOVE my sleep bahahahaha!

sounds like Blake is only managing one sleep cycle for his sleeps during the day. it is pretty normal...they usually grow out of it, or instead of doing catnaps, they start to just have one or two bigger sleeps (rather than the straightforward, feed, play, sleep thingo). Apparently when they sleep they go into deep sleep immediately then at the 20 minute mark go into REM and this wakes alot of babies as they briefly wake (as we all do!), but instead of immediately going back to sleep they fully wake. if you're not worried and he seems happy enough it's no biggie! but if it is a bit full on (as i find it) i just try to resettle (cuddle/boob etc). i find that generally she'll go back down.
to tell the truth with this bub we are totally flying by the seat of our pants lol! with DD1 i was a bit more strict with sleep routines as that what was recommended from my MACH nurse and it seemed to work without too much problem. and TBH i havent seen too much of a difference in terms of sleep/settling/feeding between the two kidlets (despite me not really doing much self-settling routine) :dunno:

HPL: haha! i dont think you need to worry about Audrey breaking her pattern! she seems rock solid lol!

Cherished: Bubs is a really good sleeper, I think we've got our routine pretty well down pat now - bedtime is 8pm wakes at 430 sleep again at 530 wakes at 8 feeds again sleep 1030 wake 12 or 1 feed sleep again wake at 5 Daddy time bath at 530-6pm feeds - then sleep again 8pm - that's pretty well our days.... Expressing not so good ATM have heaps of milk so I'll feed bub then express the reminder (100mls approx) but when it's time to feed bub again it's like my milk hasn't come in or there's not enough for her... We go for our 6wks check up tomorrow so I'm going to see if I can get something to increase my milk.... I've got about a litre stocked up in freezer and bubs has had 2 bottles from daddy which she took really well... Around 6wks and 3mths bubba usually have a growth spurt, typically, not always but typically it does last for only a few days-extra feeds little more unsettled...

Audrey has only just started fitting in properly her 0000 clothes, she was/is very small lol long legs but small shoulders.. I don't think A will be in 000 until next year lol ... Her pants/shorts still go up under her arm pits lol

AFM: family this morning we all went down to the water had breakfast and walked around the markets, it was lovely A got to wear her new bubble dress sooo cute!!

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!!!!

ok, back again! had to go as friends arrived for lunch...

I wish Marta was still in her 0000s...we had some cute ones lol. ah well! Marta is def a monster baby lol! i went to the PBC expo on friday and ppl thought she was 3 months old bahahahaha! this is soooo weird for me as Leila was soooo teeny tiny as a newborn. but i also think it's partly due to M having really long blonde hair...it throws ppl lol.

HPL: the markets sound lovely...i miss living near the water. we used to live in fiji and our backyard was the ocean...bliss!

AFM: we are going on our first 'family of four' holiday on tuesday! :dance: we are driving to wollongong with a night stopover in canberra to visit friends. we have done it a few times...but a first with two kids!!!! eeeppp! i am a *bit* nervous about the long drive, but we'll get there...the thing that keeps me going is the promise of the ocean...

Hi ladies,

just a quick hello to let you know we are going well.
DD last scan showed improvement, and she has another scan next week, so fingers crossed we may only have 12 weeks in the harness yet!
Still not quite in a routine - it seems it takes 2 days to get over the physio appt/bath/harness change (and probably 4 hours in the car too), so we have 2 "pyjama days" (where mum stays in her PJs and giving cuddles all day) followed by 4 normal days, then is physio day......
I have stopped looking at the clock when we are at home, found I was getting myself in a panic (as in OMG I've only had 2 hrs sleep!!!! or she has only been down for an hour!!!). So now it is she eats when she is hungry, she sleeps when she is tired. We usually get two big sleeps a day (one or sometimes 2 at night, one in the day - maybe 4 hrs???), and then the rest are shorter (??2 hrs??). And me - well I probably get about 8-9 hours all up, except for pyjama days when I nap on and off with her.
We've nicknamed her "hungry hungry hippo" (remember that board game?) because it seems I am ALWAYS feeding her some days - must be another growth spurt coming up, but so far it's manageable, not like "wonderweek" which happened at 3 weeks!

Cherished - how are your little man's feet now?

Cassius - how's the mastitis? I had engorgement on one side during wonderweek, which also led to a blocked milk duct. I sat up all night with hot washers and massaging it till it cleared. I was in tears with just that, so I can't imagine how painful mastitis would be!

cheerio for now, and hugs to everyone I missed!

PS - question ladies - to wrap or not to wrap? are you swaddling/wrapping your babies?

howdy everyone, just a quick reply to milly as I seriously need to pass out! I bet you can't wait to get that harness off! DS got his leg strapped again yesterday after a weeks break from it (oh the baths were divine!) it comes off next Tuesday for good YAY DS does not like to be wrapped, sometimes he doesn't even like any covers on him at all and will kick and kick until he has kicked them off. The only time I manage to wrap him is when he's really drowsy during a nappy change or really full... SO I'd say I only get to wrap him a couple of times a week. I've been recording sleep times and he sleeps for the same length of time wrapped or not so I don't think it matters.

I'm off for a sleep, dh is back at work tomorrow so I'd better rest up! :(

TBH i was hoping to not wrap this time around (was a slight PITA getting DD1 used to not being wrapped when she started rolling over...). but it appears that Marta can only really sleep well when wrapped. so we use it when we really need her to snooze.

we also fly by the seat of our pants and dont watch the clock. i watched it with DD1 and it didnt really help my already anxious self (admittedly i was suffering from a PTSD that i didnt know about...). so this time we do the same: feed when she's hungry and bed when she's tired and play for the rest! i am loving the freedom of it and we are following a pretty consistent pattern anyway (3 sleeps during the day and a big sleep overnight...1-2 wakeups).

Milly: i have everything crossed that the physio and harness is doing the trick and that the harness will be off in no time :crossfingers:. all that travel and disruption must be tough at times :hug:

we also a week 3 wonder week. it's where all the mastitis started for me too...must be something in that :think: the REAL bummer is that because i had to be on antibiotics, i got nipple thrush :o. so poor DD is on this horrid gel that needs to be applied four times a day to her tongue and i need to be on hardcore pills that make us both really sick in the belly. not happy jan lol.

Cherished: man, i had no idea that bubs also had to be strapped...or rather i had totally forgotten! it sounds like it is also getting back on track?

i am sooo jealous that your little man sleeps unwrapped lol!! waaaahhhhh why cant marta :rofl:

wishing you all the best for tomorrow with DH back at work. you'll do brilliantly xx

AFM: well we survived the 10 hour car trip (yes, it took almost 10 hours to travel 660kms lol). lots of boob breaks lol. having a lovely time with friends in canberra before we head up to wollongong tomorrow to sit by the beach...cant wait!!

Hi Ladies,

We only just started wrapping A again this week. She will sleep unwrapped during the day but we found she stays more settled wrapped at night, which seems to be working well for us with her good sleep pattern.... We have a few massive muslin wraps which should be able to fit her well into the future...

I'm sitting here watching A fall asleep she's so funny, she'll close her eyes then open them again looking sideways at me as if to say 'hey u mummy I'm watching u' just gorgeous!!

Nothing else really going on here, have decided I'm not producing enough milk to express and still BF - tried all week and the same thing happens - she's screams because she's still hungry because I just can't produce enough in the time frame - so I'm going on some medication which I can't remember lol - hopefully will help!!

Enjoy your evening everyone..

Hi girls :hello: well bubs is 6 weeks old today and the babymoon is over :( dh goes back to work tonight. He was due to start back on Thursday but took an extra 2 days as he has a cold. Gosh I will miss him!

Cas, hope you're having a wonderful time on your family of 4 holiday :family: yep our little tacker has had a brace on his leg since he was 4 days old. We did have about a weeks break though. His feet were bend inwards from having them crossed over each other in the womb. You can do manual stretches to correct it but it takes heaps longer.

HPL I also love watching DS sleep, it's so adorable! especially when he kinda opens his eyes to make sure I'm still there :) Have you tried herbs to increase your milk supply? I think the raspberry leaf and maybe fenegreek do it? You can also get bubs to suckle for longer I think to increase supply?

I don't have much to report really, we are getting loads of smiles from bubs to melt our hearts and we just love, love, love him! Next Friday I am starting to loose weight and get into regular exercise so this is my last week of eating whatever I want and lounging around. Dh has 2 night shifts at work and then 4 days off again so I figured after that it's back to regular life (or my new regular life as a mum anyway)! Our parents group starts on Tuesday and am looking forward to that. Has anyone else started a parents group?

hi girls!

HPL: i'd also check out the RL and fenugreek options too! also if you can get her to suckle an extra couple of times during the day it will help to increase the supply.

i LOVE those sneaky glances as they fall asleep. my favourite is when marta falls asleep smiling. she loves falling asleep in my arms and rewards me with a beautiful smile as she dozes off....mwah so precious :loveshower:

Cherished: how did it go with DH back at work last night? it's really weird when it happens i reckon...kinda like 'woah...now i really am a mum' (well that's how it felt for me lol).

i was offered a parents group that would of started last week (but i am already in one from when DD1 was born). i reckon give it a good go. the first few weeks can be a bit full on as everyone gets to know eachother but i have found my group to be a wonderful support and Leila now has good little friends that she has grown up with! i love my mothers group lol!!

AFM: well we have had a beautiful time! so lovely to be lying in bed at night listening to the ocean...
DD1 has had a ball playing in the sand and surf and Marta has been so excited that she has slept pretty much the whole time :rofl:. must be all the sea air lol.
we head back to melbourne tomorrow. but are taking a longer way so 2 nights instead of 1. i was suprised that the 1000km trip up here went so well. i was expecting a whole lot more stress and crying kids (now that i have said it watch this space for the return bahahaha!).

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HPL: i'd also check out the RL and fenugreek options too! also if you can get her to suckle an extra couple of times during the day it will help to increase the supply.

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Oh goodie, so glad I wasn't giving her the bum steer with that info :)

Cass don't jinx yourself love :rofl: naaaa it sounds like you've had a fab time, great to hear. My 1st night without dh went okay? it is really weird like I"m the protector of this little person all by myself and yeah I'm a MUM now. Gosh I just love him so much! He had a couple of grizzly hours though which were trying, it was lower gas/wind and it took a while to come out :( I have started drinking water with fennel seeds soaked in it so I hope that helps him.

milly since your post I thought I'd try to wrap DS a little more, but no way will he have a bar of it the little squirmer!

I had a question for you gals but far out I can't remember :( it was something you were all talking about not long ago... ummmmmm ?????? :think: :doh: ahhhh so ANNOYING does anyone know what it was.... "anyone"?! lol

:leap: YAY I remembered, what is the wonder week at 6 weeks? what can I expect etc