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.
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 ) 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 . 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.
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
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 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 (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!
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
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 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 !!! here we only get 2-3 hours max during the day...
AFM: big couple of days here. laid down the grass in our backyard 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...
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 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 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...
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?
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
Well today I am feeling pretty good, the sun is shining and am off to a gathering at a BB friends house 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 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.
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)
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!!
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.
) 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!
. 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!
I am looking forward to being hands free so i can gt stuff done!
that it stays that way IYKWIM. i know how much can be 'lost' when you have PND IYKWIM...
very excited! it's still alive today LOL! been staring at it for most of the day. 
and welcome 
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...).
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. 
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