MSE Parent Club

cha97michelle

It sounds like they are all just that awkward age then. I agree with you bailey that i sometimes clock watch and long for 7pm. HE's in bed now - not asleep, but at least safely chatting and not getting everything out for me to then put away.

I think we are in very similar positions with DH's who work long hours. It will be hard, but we are going to survive.

I don't know whether i am slightly better off than you through being back at work, as it is marginally less work through the day standing in front of my class, but it is the work i have to do at home on a night that is killing me. I am often working till 9 or 10 once charlie is asleep. Then when i get to the weekend there is all the housework stuff that i haven't managed all week. I get to friday night and collapse, and i feel so rough most of the time mainly with tiredness. I then think, well don't waste time on the computer, and then i think well why shouldn't i as i would otherwise be doing domestic drudge.

sounds like the grandparents have let you have a much needed rest today.

sometimes it is easy to feel quite sorry for myself as i wish just occasionally i could do more of what i want to do, but i wouldn't not have charlie or the new baby when it arrives.

anyway, i am going to eat my dinner alone as DH is out working still from before 7 this morning. Then i will wash everything up, and then i think i will watch ugly betty and try for an early night myself.

hope you all get some rest this weekend as it sounds like we need it. Must be the running round for xmas as well.


Michelle, x

SusanCarter

I think Alice got a shock more than anything and she didn't cry any worse than the injections.

I do normally have it quite easy as OH gets Alice up and dressed in the morning while I express and then makes breakfast while I feed her. He also takes her to the toilet any time she needs it before he goes to work and hangs up the washing. When he gets home he usually baths her and then finishes off the dinner or microwaves it if it's from a previous day while I feed Alice and put her to bed. He washes up after dinner and does the 10pm feed. He also usually sees to her if she wakes up at unusual times because if I go she's more likely to end up wanting food when she wouldn't have otherwise. It sounds like loads but it's actually less than when I was pregnant as then he was doing absolutely everything. (And I do mean everything - he was even washing my hair and coming home at lunchtime to give me lunch.)

I admire anyone who can manage a full time job and do all that stuff at home as well, I don't think I could do it especially not teaching with all that planning etc to do at home. When I was doing my PGCE before we were married, OH used to come round every evening and cook and wash up while I did my planning.

cha97michelle

sounds like your DH is a real sweetie susancarter.

I remember charlie falling off the bed at about alice's age, and he bawled the place down. Didn't stop him trying to do it again.

what do you mean by toileting? Are you using the controlled excretion thing? Does that really work? Sounds intriguing for such a young baby.

izoomzoom

Hi

We had another 9 hour sleep last night, and Sammy is only 4 weeks old BUT she has been so sleepy all day long, that I have had to wake her for feeds and then came the realisation that my supply had obviously dropped. Although she wasn't acting hungry, I am very concerned about her alertness and having sucked me dry, we gave her 4oz of formula earlier this evening, which she took like a champ.

I've sort help elsewhere, and one thing that has come to my attention is that the nipple shields may have affected my supply. The other cause is more likely to be the 'stress' of dealing with my cracked nipples but wanted to know:

Have any of you that have used shields, successfully breastfed thereafter ?

Becles

Deleted_User wrote: »

Becles, I like the bath before bed thing and gradually moving it back, but didnt' that wake up your other children.

Bathing the baby late never disturbed the boys. Having said that they are both heavy sleepers.

My husband is a DJ and gets promo CD's regularly with new music on. We often listen to those quite loud on a night with the 3 children asleep upstairs and they never wake up!

I can imagine your worries if Jack is a light sleeper though.

Charlotte is getting better on her tummy now. I keep doing tummy time and she'll stay there as long as there is something to keep her interest - usually the dog as he comes and lies next to her, so she can pull his ears and stuff :rolleyes:

I've also been putting her in a sitting position and leaving go. She can sit up for about 3 seconds, but then she falls over and I have to catch her!

purplepatch

izoomzoom wrote: »

Hi

We had another 9 hour sleep last night, and Sammy is only 4 weeks old BUT she has been so sleepy all day long, that I have had to wake her for feeds and then came the realisation that my supply had obviously dropped. Although she wasn't acting hungry, I am very concerned about her alertness and having sucked me dry, we gave her 4oz of formula earlier this evening, which she took like a champ.

I've sort help elsewhere, and one thing that has come to my attention is that the nipple shields may have affected my supply. The other cause is more likely to be the 'stress' of dealing with my cracked nipples but wanted to know:

Have any of you that have used shields, successfully breastfed thereafter ?

Oh dear, I hope that my suggesting shields hasn't caused you problems! The shields helped me a little, but not enough to stop me giving up as I still found it excruciating even with them. But 2 of my friends who had both been on the verge of giving up found them very helpful - one successfully BF'd for a year and the other one is now going strong BFing her 2 month old with no problems.

Curious_George_2

izoomzoom, I used shields with DD and breastfed fine for a while afterwards but having said that i did give up when she was about 3 months, i just could not feed in front of people (even family) or out in public, and i was so restriced to where we could go and how long for... it did my head in, so the change to formula for me was liberating!
this time, i would still be breastfeeding now if i had been given the choice... but life on formula is SO easy, we are all much happier!

bailey (and others) i wasnt being funny about the sleep thing, i just meant that if 10 hours is about his limit and he is waking too early for you, that maybe you should put him to bed a bit later?
i remember bedtime clock watching when DD was young, i understand! and im sure i will be the same this time (especially with 2 to put to bed before we can get some couple time to relax) but the difference between say bed at 8pm and bed at 9pm, isnt as big as the difference of starting your day at 6am and starting it at 7am, I know your much more tired at the moment, i cant imagine being pregnant with a little one...(probably why the age gap between my two is over 7 years!! lol)
i hope you get some success and sleep no matter what you try.

SeptemberBaby_2

FIRST TIME MUM ALERT!!!

Oh dear, I don't have a routine at all! Should I? I put in her crib late at night when she falls asleep, whatever that time might be, and I expect her to wake me at stupid o'clock through the night! I guess I must still be in the honeymoon period! lol. I think I will try the late night bath routine that has been mentioned and see how that goes.

x

Curious_George_2

Hi SB,
dont panic yourself! im a firm believer in "the routine" and we havent really started yet, its still very early days and if your happy with how its all going... then there is no need to start messing things up by enforcing time limits on things, the three bs routine (bath bottle bed) will come in time!


Danny is being a pest, he doesnt want to settle.... if i pick him up for a cuddle he will fall asleep instantly, but lay him down somewhere and he moans for ages despite being obviously knackered (and he aint the only one!) :rolleyes:
typical boy!

one final question... when can i have sex again??
im going to burst if i dont get it soon!!! i had the mirena coil before and obviously i cant have that put in yet....we both hate condoms, hmmn.. i think there may be a box of contraceptive pills knocking about somewhere
the thing thats going to do my head in is my 6 week check, the time when these things are magically recommended again will be interferred with by the arrival of christmas :rolleyes:
(theres a joke about my christmas stockings here somewhere... but im too bloody tired to figure it out!)
:rotfl:

Dormouse

SB, I wouldn't worry too much about routine yet if you're happy with the way things are. At some point, yes you'll have to think about it, but I've found with my two they sort of fell into their own routine eventually (although sooner with DS2, probably with a little help from us).

If you've noticed, the people who are into routines tend to have other children already, as it makes life easier when you have two or more. With one, I guess you're more flexible (although it probably doesn't feel like it, LOL!)

Just do things the way that works for you, hun, you're doing great