MSE Newborn to 1 year Baby Club 1

loumac

Morning all - Happy Monday!

Have had a bit of a crazy weekend so have been reading to keep up but not digesting everything so apologies that I can't remember who asked questions/ made comments but here's a bit of an update from me that I think should cover everything.

1. I bled heavily for the first 3 weeks and then on and off for another 3 weeks. Sadie is now 14 weeks old and I've just had my first proper period since she was born.

2. Maternity leave is a strange thing but I'm lucky that a friend from work is also off on maternity leave right now and I'd say we see each other 2-3 times a week. I also do a buggy walk and have just started swimming lessons with Sadie. We tried a stay and play group but I felt she was too young to get the benefit. I do a load of washing every day, walk the dog, pop to Tesco (I can walk there - lethal actually!) and occasionally sit down and watch tv. Oh and play with Sadie obviously!

3. Sadie is still in our room but she got too big for the moses basket so is currently in a travel cot. I wanted to move her into the bigger space but didn't feel she could move into her own room yet especially as she wakes twice each night still.

4. We have a tomy walkabout premier monitor which is only really used when she's in bed and we're still downstairs. Cheap but it does the job.

5. When Sadie is well enough (not at the min!!) I give her some tummy time every day, time on her playmat every day - her favourite thing is the mirror, talk to her, sing to her and that's about it I think. I sometimes worry I'm not doing enough but also when we have played for a while she tends to want to sleep so I think that's enough for now. Her favourite toy at the minute is a lamaze doll which she smiles at and talks to and she loves all the noises it makes.

Think that covers everything!! She's napping at the minute as has a really chesty cough and is a poolie girl. Off to put some washing on while she sleeps....

Hope you are your bubbas are all well.

Lou xx

Winnie_in_Pooh

Hiya ladies! (Don't think we've got any blokes have we?)

Congratulations Kira and Crabapple and welcome newbies !

Sorry I've not been around for a few days and thank you for all the responses on EASY and monitors! We bought that BT one from Amazon yesterday, DH chose it based on the 3000+ 5* reviews!

Womble - have you had any help for PND? I was referred to our local mental health team because my GP was convinced I was about to top myself and I refused any medication while I'm bf'-ing. The lady I saw was brilliant and made me feel so much better about things and basically said that I'm not suffering PND, just "porridge brain" and extreme tiredness. At that point, I hadn't slept for over 3 months so I figured she was probably right.

I've got loads more to say but Finn has just started screeching so I'll be back later xxx

alison2020

Congrats crab apple and Emily. You are doing fantastic crabapple to be able to find time so soon after the birth to be online!!! And poor Emily. That's sounds very traumatic! Don't worry about not having the chance to bond immediately. I think it took be at least a month with DD. Don't know why. Think I was just a bit nervous as a mum. When they start smiling (6 weeks I think) and engaging with you the bonding gets much stronger, IMHO.

Wonble I bled on and off for 6 weeks. Stopped for 4 days or so at times then started again. I breast fed for 5 weeks otherwise I would have had a period start at 6 weeks. As it was I think I was 8 weeks before period started. So I had a 2 week gap then onto the pill so no period since, thank goodness.

Chesty coughs, I didn't actually do anything as he wasn't crying. He started coughing last night at midnight but I just left him as they isn't anything i could have done and it was too early for him to be hungry. He did need lifted at 4am to be fed though. DD had a chesty cough so he had the same thing. Might have put Ewan on to settle him again. I just love that sheep!!!!!
Mirror's advise is very good for a sticky cough, or if they are struggling.

Womble have the doctors or HV any advise about the mucous? It sound like it is really disturbing her sleep (and yours!) It wouldn't be a touch of asthma would it? Or a sensitivity to pets? Is she phlegmy during the day or just at night?

eyelinerprincess

Morning!

Just had the HV around, Jack has put on 9oz(!) in the past week! Knew he was going through his 6 week growth spurt but still...

Slept through the night last night as well, thank God. I can cope quite well with the change and the snack at 3am, but the past few nights it's been not going to sleep til 3am.

yummymummy79

Very pleased to report we seem to have turned a corner over the last couple of days. Ella has stopped falling asleep whilst feeding which is good on one hand, but then needs to get to sleep another way which is alien to her! Had a horrible night on Fri where I ended up crying too as she took ages to settle and think I had about 3 hours sleep. Yesterday morning I spent literally hours trying to get her to sleep (in my arms) but she would keep waking up every 10 mins so was very annoying.

About 4pm I decided enough was enough and decided to get her to learn to sleep in her moses basket so we went upstairs, swaddled her, laid her in her bed with a dummy with my hand on her chest. It took an hour of putting dummy back in, shhing in her ear (replacing with the white noise app on my phone when she was calm) and keeping my hand on her chest but she eventually dropped off. Woke up after 20 mins but I was happy she got to sleep at least.

Last night for bedtime I started a bit of a routine (the times may vary but was just after 9pm last night) of change, rub/massage with baby oil, swaddle then story before in basket with dummy and white noise with hand on her chest again. Took a bit of faffing, but she was asleep by about 11 and went through till 4am. Changed and fed at 4am, back in basket with same routine again and she was off after about 20 mins till 8.15ish. This morning I took her up about 9.30, same routine, was asleep in 20 mins and still asleep now nearly 2 hours later!! Managed to have a shower and some chillout time, heaven!

After DS' rubbish napping, I was determine she was going to be better and (touch wood) we may be getting somewhere. Have ordered a Ewan from Amazon as not ideal having my phone in her basket, and going to look for swaddle blankets in town today.

Oops bit of an essay!

Metranil_Vavin

Wonder Womble I have been reading some of your posts recently and I can totally relate to how you are feeling. It reminds me so much of me after my DS was born - he turned 1 on Saturday.

I know that you are probably sick to death of hearing it, but it honestly, truely gets better and more managable. The first few weeks I found pretty hideous. Everything from total exhaustion to finding breast feeding difficult and painful.

I remember the health visitor used to come and visit and I would be so tired I could hardly understand what she was saying to me.

I also remember the horror of my OH going back to work. I cried my eyes out and was practically hanging onto his ankles the day he went back! I thought I would NEVER be able to cope, and often (to my great shame) wondered why on earth I'd had a child in the first place.

I also felt that he was never going to settle into a sleep pattern and I would never get a good nights sleep ever again! My OH was wonderful (like yours sounds) and a few nights slept in the living room with DS in the moses basket so I could get some sleep. I think he recognised that I was getting to breaking point, and that me totally knackered was going to be no use to anyone!

I read tons of stuff in both books and on forums on the net about routines and how to get baby to sleep better. I also remember feeling real jealously if any of my NCT friends appeared to be nailing it with getting their LO's to sleep for chunks of more than 3 hours!

I melted down on many occasions and felt totally lost and miserable. I don't know if what I was experiencing was full on PND or just extended baby blues, but it was a horrible time. And through it all, my baby was actually the most precious and wonderful thing I had EVER done, and I look back now on pictures and videos of him and wish I'd appreciated him when he was really tiny more as they do grow so fast!

Anyway..sorry for the ramble! Just wanted you to know that it will improve, your LO will sleep and you will feel 'normal' again!

The bleeding should be starting to ease up about now (6 week), but if you are still going in a couple more then maybe speak to your GP. I think once that stops, it makes life a lot easier and more comfortable too!

x

carolineb23

Ooh I've only just found this thread, fab idea. I was on the pregnancy club one but since having Sophia in October I've not really been around much. I'm really lucky as she's a good baby, she usually wakes for a feed once a night but sometimes goes all night without waking. She definitely makes up for it in the day though, I'm feeding her pretty much every 2 hours! The only thing I'm a bit unsure about at the moment is whether I should have any routine? She's 3 months now and I keep her with me all the time, I don't put her to bed and go downstairs or anything. She will fall asleep on her own in her crib but I tend to go upstairs with her about 830 and watch a bit of tv while she has her last feed of the night, then put her down, sometimes asleep, sometimes awake. To be honest, everything is just baby led, but I hear so many people saying they follow this routine or that routine that I'm starting to wonder if I'm doing something wrong! What do you all do?
Also, would it be possible to add me to the list? Sophia was born on 6th Oct 2011 and she's our first baby. Thanks.

loumac

Hi carolineb23

My LO was born on the 10th so pretty close to yours. I don't tend to follow any routine in the day with sleeping. She tends to dictate if she's tired! If we're out in the car or the pram she can also end up sleeping for hours and hours which would mess with any routine. Today for example she woke at 8, went down for another nap about 10, woke at 11 and then we took the dog out for a walk so she slept for another 20 minutes or so.

However, in the evening I do massage, bath, bottle and bed by 7 and then come down and leave her to sleep. (She's poolie at the min so haven't done massage or bath for past 2 nights) I then go up about 10.30 and give her another feed. Just the way it's worked out. Almost accidental.

Hope that helps! x

wendz86

Afternoon all,

Emily-sorry to hear the birth went wrong at the end. I had an emcs and as my temperature went up right before i had it they had to whizz Poppy off to the SCBU to have antibiotics so although I got a cuddle when she was born she was then taken away for a few hours . I found it hard to establish BFing and if it wasn't for a lovely lady at the hospital helping me don't think i could have done it. Find it so easy now though ! Anyway just wanted to say well done for perservering with it.

Caroline - i never followed a routine, I have been baby led and just let herself get into her own routine. It is totally up to you what you do. We have fallen into a rough routine now but I do find if we end up going out or something changes it doesn't affect her which is good.

We have been to baby and toddler group this morning which was nice although think she may start escaping the baby area soon. Going to get her weighed this afternoon.

Lauralou

Hi all.

Are baby carries/slings a good idea? I'm thinking off getting one so i can have DD with me whilst i do little things round the house like washing etc. I know housework isn't important atm but washing needs to be done and i'm starting to feel guilty leaving her if she awake. Or should i just wait until she has a nap to sort things out? Will she become quite attched to me if i use the carrier?

We had a good couple of nights. Last night i had to wake her for a feed at 2.30.
The evening was a bit tiring. I hadn't off had a nap so was feeling tired. She had a feed at 6.55-7.15, offered 2nd breast but didn't want it so did a nappy change again offered more but didn't went to sleep for about 5/10mins then wanted another feed but only took it for about 5 mins. So put her down in her moses basket and OH stayed with her in the loungue, i went to bed, just about went to sleep but then OH came in with her at 8.55 so we did a 10min then offered 2nd breast had another 10ish mins, settled abit but then cried so offered her another feed at 10, did 5 mins on 1 breast offered her 2nd and did 15mins then went off to sleep at 10.40 then i woke her at 2.30.

Spoke to a HV today about some questions i have about feeding, as i feel like i'm not doing it 'right' but seems like i am. Theres a breast feeding group tomorrow at 9.30, thinking off going but i'm not normally dressed and ready by 11! and plus my car battery has died so i would need OH car but i can't take him to work at 7 beccause then would need to get DD into her outdoor outfit into her car seat and then what if she wakes for a feed. OH does only work 5ish mins away in the car.

How do you cope when your OH's went back to work. OH goes back tomorrow and i'm really not looking forward to being on my own. I was nearly in tears yday thinking about OH not being here.

WW i also find i can't seem to rest/get off to sleep i seem to get songs in my head. usually the we buy any car advert song, then confused.com!