MSE Parents Club Part 16

got-it-spend-it

Tigerlee wrote: »

hiya
I'm a first time mum too. Emily is 8 weeks today, i found whenever i put her down at night that she would just wake up 5 mis later crying then we couldn't settle her again. We ended up co- sleeping which i know is bad but it settled E and we slept coz we could settle her quickly when she stirred as we were right there. I did this co- sleep from 1 week but managed to get her down in the cot (skipped the moses basket as she hated it) 2 weeks ago and all has been fine. Actually goes down awake and stares at her teddy then goes to sleep. x p.s. i actually liked co-sleeping but everyones reaction is awful!

Hi Tigerlee. Congratulations and welcome. I don't think co-sleeping is bad, as long as you read up on the guidelines (not doing it if you are smokers, or if you've had a drink or taken medication etc). We still quite often co-sleep and my DS is 15 months! I love it, and he will only be little for a short time so I just enjoy. My MIL told me the other day that they let Henry sleep in their bed sometimes when he stays over, and she wishes she hadn't been so strict not letting her boys do it when they were little! I honestly think it is the best way to get through disturbed nights. There have been relatively few mornings where I have felt like I've been really sleep deprived since Henry was born, and I put that down to co-sleeping.

delain

gizmodo wrote: »

When you've changed the nappy, clothes, fed the baby and burped them and they still cry, what should you do? She just won't stop crying when I put her to sleep at night. She's upstairs now with OH trying to settle her (been in 'bed' since 8pm), changed nappy and fed her at 9pm. That settled her, she falls asleep in my arms and then screams the moment I put her down. This goes on for hours. Do they just grow out of it? Do I just need to accept that I need to stay up for hours just holding her? I just don't know what to do, I feel so helpless and useless.

You don't need to sit up for ages holding her

Try a bath immediately followed by a feed, feed in the bedroom next to the cot with any lighting very low knocks most babies right out :cool:

Oh yes and we do sometimes co sleep, mostly when Squeaks wakes up for her morning feed then I put her in with us so she goes back to sleep, esp if she woke up at 4.30 lol.

ETA we have found Squeak's sleeping bag a godsend, you can just pop her down without the huge temperature change of being warm with mummy to in a cold cot. She's much easier to put down now.

Also try (very gently) tapping the rhythm of your heartbeat on their chest/tummy with your fingers. Supposed to remind them of the womb or something but someone told me that with my twins and it worked for them and for Squeak. I start doing it if she grumbles when I put her down and she drops straight off.

MichelleM

Just thought I'd pop in regarding the mummies who are having problems with BFing.
My daughter is 8 months old now and has been (still is) successfully BFing. However, when she was born she would need to feed literally every hour and after a labour that lasted nearly 3 days my body just wasn't up to it. I gave her bottles to begin with then whenever I could, I would latch her on. Whether it was when I was sat down/in bed/or in a sling. It took at least 6 weeks before she was fully on the breast.
I know this isn't an option for everyone but i really don't want others to think that instantly switching to formula is the only choice.

Lots of hugs and support. And as long as your LO is thriving and feeding (whether it's formula or breast) you're doing the best you can. Xxxxx

gizmodo_2

Cosleeping isn't an option for us. I don't really trust OH as he fidgets and often squashes me in the night and he's got no idea he's doing it.

Well I'm awake waiting for the next feed which should be anytime now.

Last night wasn't too great. Partly my fault. OH was meant to do the 10-11pm shift with the bottle, but DD decided to feed every 1.5 - 2 hours in the evening and after putting her to bed at 8pm and then feeding her at 9pm to try and resolve the crying, she eventually settled and I went to bed at 10:30pm and she was sound asleep. She didn't wake for food until 1:30am. OH then went about the feed all wrong (I couldn't tell him anything though). He took her downstairs, lights on, TV on, talked to her etc. She took about 10ml of the bottle in an hour after which he gave up. So I ended up breastfeeding her. Then she took another hour to settle because she was wide awake and crying. So a disaster really. But I think had I just breastfed it would have been quite a good night.

So new plan is to get OH to bottle feed at around the 6pm mark until she takes to it. Hopefully will be less stressful all round.

How long should it take for her to accept the bottle? Should we try a different bottle tonight? We've got 3 different ones to try (gifts/freebies).

gizmodo_2

Make-it-3 wrote: »

Welcome Hungrymummy - our LO hates her moses basket too, and her pram and her car seat. Will only settle in our arms or between us in bed. Don't mind the latter as co-sleeping makes BF at night so much easier. We have absolutely no routine though - as her behaviour changes day by day.

Apart from the length of time it takes to BF, we're not having too many issues although I do find at night I wake up for one feed sweating and then might be freezing next feed - is that something I should be worried about?

Some not great news today, had a gyny referral appointment as I was concerned about my stitches healing and it seems I have an infection and will probably need to be re-stitched :eek:

Sorry about your stitches

I don't know about the sweating/freezing thing, but I sweat a lot most nights (always have) but I'm not aware of it unless I actually wake up and since I have to wake up at silly hours now I'm often finding myself in a pool of sweat (sorry, gross I know). I've also been experiencing being freezing (but happens at anytime of day). Others have been suggesting to watch out for Mastitis with regards to shivering and being cold...

got-it-spend-it

Make-it-3 wrote: »

Welcome Hungrymummy - our LO hates her moses basket too, and her pram and her car seat. Will only settle in our arms or between us in bed. Don't mind the latter as co-sleeping makes BF at night so much easier. We have absolutely no routine though - as her behaviour changes day by day.

Apart from the length of time it takes to BF, we're not having too many issues although I do find at night I wake up for one feed sweating and then might be freezing next feed - is that something I should be worried about?

Some not great news today, had a gyny referral appointment as I was concerned about my stitches healing and it seems I have an infection and will probably need to be re-stitched :eek:

If your stitches are infected it might be that that is making you shiver and sweat. Did the consultant mention anti-bs? If not it's probably worth a visit to the DR to get it checked

Becles

Sorry to hear about the struggling to sleep babies. *hugs* to all the frazzled Mammy's.

Another thing to try is a Tomy Dreamshow.
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3611207.htm?_$ja=tsid:11527|cc:|prd:3611207|cat:toys+and+games+/+pre-school+toys+/+baby+toys+/

It projects a soft light with characters on the ceiling and plays soothing lullaby tunes. Sometimes they focus on that rather than crying because you've gone away and it soothes them off to sleep.

Hope you get sorted out Make-it-3. That sounds really painful *hugs*

Taking Charlotte shoe shopping for new school shoes today. I'm a bit annoyed as before Christmas she came home with her shoe and a shoe that was the same style but a size too small. Both her shoes had her name clearly written on the sole inside. It was a bit chaos with Christmas plays and parties and stuff so the supply teacher said they would sort it out after Christmas.

After Christmas I spoke to the normal teacher and two notes have been sent out asking if anyone has the wrong shoes. However two girls did have that style of shoe but got new ones over the holidays and the old ones were thrown out. Her correct shoe never turned up so we suspect one of those girls had it.

It's annoying as the correct shoe still fits, but the smaller shoe is too tight now. Lesson to all: mark everything really well at school.

Going to paint bright red nail varnish on the inside of the fastening straps on the new shoes, so Charlotte can easily identify if she has the right shoes on.

Also got to persuade her not to get patent leather ones. she absolutely loves shiny shoes, but I can't stand patent leather

Have a good day all xx

Metranil_Vavin

Morning gang..sorry to hear about your stitches Mit3..talk about something you really DON'T need

Josh slept well last night. I went to bed at about 10pm and left him dozing in his bouncy chair in the living room with OH. Then OH brought him in at 11pm, fed him, we put him down and he slept through till 5am! :eek:

Now is that a good thing or a bad one? :think:

He is 6 weeks old today, so the magic first marker reached, should he be going for 5 odd hours through the night without an additional feed?

I fed him again just before 7 and then another quick feed at about 8, and now he is back in his moses basket having another snooze.

BargainPrincess

Thanks to all the lovely ladies for the advice and support. I have made a Dr appointment today so will see what they have to say later.

flower_72

gizmodo wrote: »

When you've changed the nappy, clothes, fed the baby and burped them and they still cry, what should you do? She just won't stop crying when I put her to sleep at night. She's upstairs now with OH trying to settle her (been in 'bed' since 8pm), changed nappy and fed her at 9pm. That settled her, she falls asleep in my arms and then screams the moment I put her down. This goes on for hours. Do they just grow out of it? Do I just need to accept that I need to stay up for hours just holding her? I just don't know what to do, I feel so helpless and useless.

Hello Giz
Our daughters were born on the same day.:)
I get what you describe now and then when she won't sleep in her cot. It used to be every nights up until she was 10 days old. Now it's just now and again. What works for us is me taking her to my bed and getting her to fall deeply asleep on my chest. I lay on my back, the light is off and very quietly sing to her. I usually fall asleep with her. Wen I wake up an hour later, or OH comes to bed, I just gently put her in her bed.
The trick for me is to move her when she is in a very deep sleep.
And I repeat after every night feed but it usually goes much quicker (I have taken to feed and change her in the dark - just with the light from my mobile :rotfl:so that she never fully wakes up)
She sleeps in a sleeping bag. That helps a lot as there's hardly any temperature change when I put her in her cotbed.
Now yesterday was a different story during the day. She simply did not sleep. She was wide awake all day long wanting to be entertained - no crying at all !:T but wanting to be fed every 1,5hours :eek: What was that all about!?
A very pleasant child but she had me working for her from dawn to sunset :rotfl: