Bumpkins & Babies Chat Thread

[aimee-lou]

Good morning everyone

KrisKitten - I'm so jealous of your routine. Earl is fab, but he is not predictable in the slightest and I just have to take what opportunities I get to do the housework. I'm normally pretty good but cooking is a hit and miss thing tbh......pizza's out of the freezer have never been so popular in our house lol.

Well I'm up cos Earl got bored in bed lol. He didn't cry, just lay there grizzling getting louder and louder lol. He was a bit unsettled last night as we tried a bath again. He loved it but could we get him to sleep after...could we heckers. He went to bed at 9.30 and between me and hubby we got to bed at 11 which I don't suppose is too bad. Between you, me and the gatepost I think Earl was disrupted because hubby insisted on watching the effing Top Gear repeat at 8 and wouldn't let me take him up for a bath until after it at 9pm. This meant that I had to feed Earl at 8.30 with half his bottle, then bath him, then afterward with the second half. I really don't think my hubby understands how important it is to be consistent with a baby this young.

On the plus side, I decided to swaddle Earl last night and that's what got him to sleep finally after nearly an hours flailing. Normally he will just lay there and you'll see him relax but he just wouldn't last night. I wrapped him up tightly, cuddled him for 2 minutes then laid him down and he was like those dolls with the closing eyes lol. The instant I laid him down, he was gone.

Anyway....2nd brekkers time for the hobbit!

Speak later girls xx

 

[Maffie]

Morning all, still no sign of routine here, Noah was unsettled again. Although he let us sleep in this morning i'm sure he knew I used to work nights for years!

Just made an emergency doctors appointment as im having problems with asthma. This house really is too damp for me. Some rooms I cant go in at all and now I have a slight cold i'm struggling to get peak flow over 250 thats less than half my normal

 

[littlekitten8]

Morning girls. Or should I say afternoon! James did very well in his room last night. He woke at 4.20am for a feed, took 2oz and fell asleep so I put him in his moses basket and of course me getting up from the chair woke him up. Swaddled him and went to the loo and by the time I came back he was sound asleep. Result. Back in bed by 5am hehe. Took OH to work this morning and he put James in his car seat and took him to the car cos I wasn't quite ready...ran to the car and got in so he could get to work on time. He said James wasn't very impressed when he walked outside. Well I figured out why pretty quickly when I got home and went to get him out of the car.....he hadn't put a jumper or his blanket on him! So he had taken him out in 10 degree weather in.....dungarees and a long sleeved tshirt!! Stupid git. So I have cuddled him in and given him a nice warm bottle and he seems fine thankfully. I was so cross to find out he had taken him out like that. It's not as if hes not done this before. He has a 2 and a half year old and wouldn't dream of taking him out in this weather without a coat on!

 

[aimee-lou]

to you Gemma and to James. Sounds like the OH's aren't doing well this morning lol. Mine had me in tears this morning as while I am coping well in myself, it does all get on top of me occasionally (I'm sure everyone has this from time to time).

Earl is having his afternoon nap.....I've decided to start making a diary of when he eats and sleeps and for how long as I think I may be wrong about him not having a routine.....for example....he slept from 12.30-2.45 yesterday. He's asleep now so we'll see how he gets on. I've done a bit of tidying but I need to go and make use of his quiet time - although I've discovered that he loves to sit in his car seat when I'm in the kitchen as I have the stereo on......he has added Badly Drawn Boy to his musical 'makes me fall asleep' list. I was making bottles this morning and he was awake so I plonked him in it while my hubby's 'About a Boy' OST was on, and he was asleep within 5 minutes!!

Earl is 1 month old today!! Gosh that's flown by - Chaos and Kaites, it's odd as your LO's are nearly double his age lol....I often read your posts and thin 'Goodness, Earl will be doing that soon!'

Oooh Wife Swap!! May have to forgoe the housework in favour of tomato soup and trash TV!!

 

[colsy]

I read the "hungry immediately" and laughed- Emma has carved out a routine of being fed immediately after a sleep and anytime I deviate, she freaks out. This morning when she woke up, her sleeper was wet (bad mummy accidentally tucked the undershirt into the back of her diaper in my sleepy efforts to change her poopy diaper in the middle of the night) so I decided to change her first. You'd think I was trying to kill her- my ears hurt from the shrieks. Needless to say, I don't really hang out by her crib holding her hand- we just get down to business feeding the little dictator. We have a bedtime routine, but I have to admit it's not a great one- we bathe her after we eat dinner and then bring her back downstairs for a feed and snuggle. She usually falls asleep on my lap and I don't bring her back upstairs until about 10pm. I like watching her sleep and TV at the same time I put a warm rice sock in her bed for a few minutes before putting her in her crib to make the transition from my arms to bed a little easier. She's been sleeping 5-6 hrs and then waking between 3-4am, feeding and then sleeping for another ~3hrs. As for mealtimes, most of them are spend juggling a baby at the boob while trying to eat, or speed eating in anticipation of a crying baby while she sits in her swing. We got a swing for my parents place too for Sunday dinners at their house. I put her in her Bumbo a couple days ago and she seemed facinated to be at the table with Mum and Dad

Your routine sounds so similar to ours. Thanks for giving me confidence that there is no wrong or right way - we just all need to find the way that suits us

 

[colsy]

Question, girls: how long do babies usually stay in a cot for? I am asking because we're currently choosing between buying a cot and a cot-bed ...

Ta xx

 

[aimee-lou]

Hi colsy.....we chose a cot over a cot bed. Babies normally stay in a cot until about 2-2.5years. They'll then move to a normal bed with rails. We chose this way as we're hoping to use the cot for number 2 and we'll be leaving a 2 year age gap all being well so it makes sense as Earl can then have a new big boy bed when the new baby is on the way.
I did consider buying a cot bed, but I looked at the prices of bed vs cotbeds and we decided it was better value to buy a cot then a bed.

 

[colsy]

Hi colsy.....we chose a cot over a cot bed. Babies normally stay in a cot until about 2-2.5years.

Oh gosh, that old? I had no idea. I thought it was about a year, doh! In which case, like you, we may well go down the route of cot and then big boy's bed, as we will also use the cot for Monty's little bro or sis. (No plans as such yet, I hasten to add, in case you thought I was divulging a little secret there!)

What do you reckon on the mattress front? Would you reuse the cot mattress for your second baby or buy a new one (a mattress I mean, not a baby, haha).

Went to our mums and babes group today, and boy did Monty scream when we arrived. But I realise how much more relaxed I am now as a parent - I simply apologised to the HV running the group and fed Monty immediately. (Oooh, my third public BF!) Oddly, almost every baby there cried and fed today, whereas previously they've all been really quiet. Is it a full moon out there?

 

[colsy]

OMG, poor boy, he'll think I don't love him! I forgot to announce that Monty did his first smiles yesterday

 

[aimee-lou]

OMG, poor boy, he'll think I don't love him! I forgot to announce that Monty did his first smiles yesterday

Congratulations Monty!!....Earl is 'trying' to smile quite regularly but not quite succeeding....he just looks like he's sucked on a lemon!

I think 2 is the recommended and then they can stand up and get out lol....also depends on how tall they are I suppose. The mattress....We'll probably replace because we replace ours every 18 months - 2 years anyway so it would make sense. I have invested in a waterproof sheet though to make it last longer should we need to re-use.

 

[Maffie]

OH's youngest went into a bed here at about 15/16 months. He has this bed He went in the bed as soon as he was able to climb on and off it easily. His older brother had the same bed, there is a rail up at the head end which stops rolling out.

Well been to the doctors and got all new inhalers, steroid tablets and antibiotics. I hate this house being so damp i'm run down and spoiling for a cold, just hope it stays off my chest. Doctor said if it got much worse i'd need to go to the hospital Think the witch is coming too as i'm spotting (sorry tmi) I thought breastfeeding would keep the witch away???

 

[Kte]

Afternoon all,

Well I actually managed sorting half the clean clothes this morning so will be putting the rest away now OH is back from work.

Chloe would not settle after her 11pm feed last night, she didn't dose off until 12:45 which would have been okay but OH alarm goes off at 1.30! She has been a bit grouchy and I am not sure if it's because she has an upset tummy. She seems to think she is hungry straight after a feed, especially if she is sleepy and then wakes up when being winded. I just pop her dummy in and rub her tummy and it seems to help her.

I think she smiled today ?!? I never quite know if I should be happy or not, I usually think its to do with wind but I was playing with her and making her bounce / fly up to a picture on the wall she seems to like eyeballing (I thinks its due to how the light reflects off of it) and I think she gave 3 smiles, if I see anymore I will class them as her first smiles lol.

Mmmm Choc time before clothes me thinks!

 

[eswift]

Afternoon All...

I took a walk to the dr's today, took me an hour to walk there it's 2 villages away; quite a pleasant morning out though... Whilst at the dr's they treated CC's belly button then and there... LOL there was the HV saying they couldn't treat it until it was out of the belly button hole... Depending on HV clinic on Tuesday, depends if we go back next Wednesday... Dr was lovely, had a giggle about the bf group; Dr suggested going to the one in the local town... May be better attended...

Saw MIL on my way to Dr's as she ives in that village (SIL is in hospital, got rushed in yesterday) mainly called in to see if MIL was ok, not use to being on her own etc... I'm taking MIL to the hospital tomorrow, and OH is taking her shopping on Saturday (I really need to crack on with the laundry it's taking over... Who'd have guessed a baby could create so much???)

DS was in his own big bed at 14 months, we moved house; seemed a good time to try... He settled fast and well... We've gone for a cot bed this time as it should last until CC is about 5 ish... As we'd like to start trying for another when she's a year old; it'd mean there'd be enough room for another cot bed in her room; which means hopefully we'd be able to do a transistion straight to bunk beds when appropriate... Hopefully allowing DS to keep his room his own for a fair few years...

CC is hungry when she 1st wakes too, I delay the nappy change until she's eaten or at least had a nibble... LOL then nappy change is a quiet time... CC doesn't cry too much LOL generally when she's tired or hungry... (feel rather lucky) but when she does cry, boy do you know about it...

I had CC layed on the changing mat today naked she was kicking and moving about like a good un', she was smiling then all of a sudden she weed (wet everything, even my trousers included; just after a cleaned her up and the mat etc; getting ready to put a nappy on. She smiled at me, then let rip; pooing all over the nappy mat... Little madame.... I'm sure if she could have laughed, she would have done...

She currently on the play mat kicking at winnie the pooh, nice to see her moving about more... ooo she's just rolled onto her side!! How cool is that??

 

[littlekitten8]

Well I must say I was shocked today. I saw the consultant and had my pre-op....all within an hour of my appointment time! Normally at that hospital with an appointment time of 2.30pm I would expect to get out of there at about 5pm. Not today! Was back in the car at 3.30! Now just got to wait for the date of my operation to come through. Got to have the pins taken out of my thumb cos one of them is working its way out of the bone and through the skin. They want me to have it under local rather than general which means I will be out quicker but means I will have to listen to them pulling pins out gross! Ah well. Could be worse!

 

[aimee-lou]

Good morning everyone.

Hope we're all ok. I had an interesting night - Earl was fab but I came down with the migraine of all migraines (thinking maybe I need an eye test) So hubby had to do all the feeds etc overnight. He tried the dream feed again at 2am and it worked a treat. Earl then woke up at 6 and has been asleep since. I think he's about to wake tbh as I keep hearing him stirring but for the time being I've sorted the housework for the morning and now hubby is asleep on the sofa next to me.

Does anyone else's LO turn themselves over in the night? Earl did this twice last night....hubby said he was like it at 2am and when I went in to collect bottles etc he was on his side this morning too. It's really sweet but are they 'supposed' to according to those wonderful guidelines lol. Do I need to get him a sleep positioner? One good thing, this morning he's on his left hand side, which was his bad side, so it's obviously not causing him any pain any more!!

Hope we're all having a good day so far...it's all very quiet on here!

 

[Maffie]

Morning all, well Noah was hungry all night he was feeding every 1-2 hours. When he was settled I couldn't sleep managed to drift off at about 7.15

Aimee Noah usually rolls onto his side every night, he seems to like sleeping that way, he rolls back onto his back but thankfully never tries to roll onto his front.

Feeling all stressed out at the moment which I think is stopping me sleeping. Again work haven't paid me, and home life is beyond stressful all me and oh seem to do is argue.

 

[Kte]

Mornign all,

Well I have resigned to the fact it was still wind and not a smile yesterday . . . Chloe has been having a few wind problems and isnt settling very well at the moment. I spoke to the HV and she said I can try her on Gripe water now so hoping that works. Infacol just makes her sick everywhere.

I have a few questions about play but Chloe is really unsettled today so I will try pop back later x

 

[Kaites]

Your routine sounds so similar to ours. Thanks for giving me confidence that there is no wrong or right way - we just all need to find the way that suits us

When I read your questions, I was pretty sure that we had the same routine happening I hope there isn't a right or wrong way!

Aimee-lou- happy belated 1 month!! I thought of you and Earl yesterday when we dressed Emma up- hubby decided he wanted to pick out her outfit and decided on something he hadn't seen her wear. He put her in a 6-9mth sweater and it fit perfectly! Looks like all the 6-9 mth stuff that people are going to buy Earl for Christmas will probably fit him perfectly by then if he continues to grow so quickly I'm hoping that this brand was just a bit smaller than others since my mum has bought lots of 6-9mth stuff too and I'd like it to last the whole winter if possible. About turning over in his sleep, here the doctors say that once they are able to roll in their sleep, don't worry so much about their position. They still recommend putting them in the crib at the start of the night on their backs but if they roll, let them roll and don't use a positioner (I don't know the reason the docs are against positioners). I'm still waiting for Emma to roll over- she's trying hard but her cloth bum is rather large and she's having a hard time getting enough momentum

Kte- hope the gripe water works for you.

Maffie- sorry to hear you had another sleepless night and are stressed Hope the pay situation gets settled quickly.

We have a big day of shopping planned- I hope Emma cooperates with the plan. We have an infant car seat but when we tried to fit her into it with the sleeping bag for winter, she didn't fit in it anymore- straps weren't long enough. So then we tried putting her in a snowsuit instead and again, the straps were too short. Argh! I was hoping to put off buying the full size car seat until spring since it's so much easier getting her buckled into the infant seat inside the house and just clipping it into the base than trying to wrestle her into the straps in the cold while she screams (she hates being put into a car seat).

Yesterday we had a quiet day at home- hubby started to babywear since he feels like he's missed out on a lot of bonding time when he was working such long hours (was working 12 hour days until last week, 6 days a week). It was too funny- he looked pregnant with Emma in the Moby wrap. He also kept calling himself Mobyman like some kind of babywearing super hero. He made the comment that he's having more fun with the baby now too and she isn't crying everytime he holds her (thankfully!).

Anyway, hope everyone is having a good day- time for breakfast for me!

 

[helz81]

Hi girls, woah time is flying by so quickly!! I haven't been able to keep up with this thread much, things are not good at home, not Ethan-he's great, Ive problems with my dad.

I've been to baby clinic this morning to get him weighed..he is now 9lb 11! Health visitor was really pleased..1lb on in 2 weeks. I'm still breastfeeding too so feel chuffed to bits that he's getting what he needs cos it is so hard when you can't see how much milk there getting..frustrating at times! While I was there I asked if there was anything I could put on his spotty face..he's covered in big red spots, some have gone quite dry now and he looks patchy but Ive been told to just leave them to go away on their own.
He's good on a night too most of the time..settles down in his cot around 9, 10pm and goes till around 2am till he wants a feed and change..then another around 6ish. Weve had quite a few huge gummy grins already too which is so lovely
Hope everyones ok, I'll have a catch up later when Ive more time..chinese 4 tea tonight so no cooking and clearing up= baby n bump time!! xx

 

[Chaos]

While I was there I asked if there was anything I could put on his spotty face..he's covered in big red spots, some have gone quite dry now and he looks patchy but Ive been told to just leave them to go away on their own.

Autumn had this baby acne all over her face/chest, they went really dry too and started itching her and driving her batty. The nurse suggested putting a bit of baby oil on the face whilst she was in the bath and her skin was wet. After the bath I'd put a really thin layer of aveeno baby lotion on it and with in 4 days its all gone!