***December Snowflakes 2012 Parenting***

[Kelly M]

Well, day one of sleep training so far has been so awful I'm already giving up. He screamed for almost two hours, I caved and nursed him, he was still awake after that so I caved again and gave him his pacifier. He napped a whopping 30 minutes after that. I'm going crazy! He was up four times last night and up for the day at 5:45 am. The sleep training so far has made me angry, frustrated and anxious. I yelled at my poor baby today and I feel so awful! I don't know what to do I don't think I am strong enough to do this training but I can't carry on the way it is now because I'm so sleep deprived. Talk about a rock and a hard place.....

 

[sigh]

Well, day one of sleep training so far has been so awful I'm already giving up. He screamed for almost two hours, I caved and nursed him, he was still awake after that so I caved again and gave him his pacifier. He napped a whopping 30 minutes after that. I'm going crazy! He was up four times last night and up for the day at 5:45 am. The sleep training so far has made me angry, frustrated and anxious. I yelled at my poor baby today and I feel so awful! I don't know what to do I don't think I am strong enough to do this training but I can't carry on the way it is now because I'm so sleep deprived. Talk about a rock and a hard place.....

I'm dreading it even though we're going in to comfort her. I know she'll cry because she usually cries anyways. If you're going to do it, don't give in! DH and I are sitting and writing out rules before hand because my cousin told me that if you cave in, it will be worse next time you try. Ellie's been waking 6 times or more a night and it's nearly impossible to get her back to sleep. I've been putting her in the swing after 4 PM and sleeping on the floor of her room so that she sleeps... we're starting on Thursday I think so until then we're going to devise a plan. Is DH helping you? I'm telling mine before hand to help me stick to the plan because I know otherwise I'll cave in.

 

[scoobydrlp]

Coco - going back to work was stressful for the first week or two because I really missed Camden, and I felt like I was letting her down by not being with her every minute. After that it felt sort of normal though, although I do still miss her. I think it helps that her daycare teachers are super nice and I feel comfortable leaving her there now. They love her almost as much as I do! They don't have set naptimes in the infant room, so she naps whenever she wants, and it hasn't changed her sleeping patterns at home at all. As for pumps, I got a used one from a good frient of mine. They make replacement kits for all the tubing and other pieces that would touch your body or the milk, so I felt comfortable with the pump itself not being brand new. I will say the hardest part about breast feeding after going back to work is finding time to pump at work. I really should pump 3 times while I'm there, but lots of days I can only get 2 pumping sessions in, and my supply dropped some. I starting eating steel cut oatmeal and it's back up again.

Chloe, thanks for the advice about the Ergo carrier, I've been wanting one but they're way too expensive! I go to TJ Maxx and Marshalls ALLLLL the time, like at least once a week. I haven't seen an Ergo yet, but I'll definitely be looking!

 

[scoobydrlp]

Also, soooooo sorry to hear about everyone with sleep problems. I'm praying that the 4 month sleep regression stays away from my house! For the last week or two Camden has been waking up once or twice some nights, but for the most part she'll go back to sleep if I give her her pacifier. If not I nurse her and she goes back to sleep for sure. Hoping that's as bad as it gets for us!

 

[sigh]

Yes Chloe - thanks for the tip! I checked out TJ Maxx today and they didn't have it but I'll keep checking! I was just about to buy one at Babies R Us

So Ellie has some congestion and I used the Nosefrida for the first time yesterday. Holy moly that thing is great! Sucked everything right out of her nose! She cries like crazy though when I do it and I feel so bad. Her cry has changed. She now says "Mumumumumummmm" when she cries. I don't know if she's calling for me but weird...

 

[ImSoTired]

I'm sorry to hear about all of the sleep issues..We are sort of having sleep issues also. Last night she slept fine (albeit she still goes to bed after midnight) but the night before she was up 3 times and really only slept a total of 6 hours or so. We have nights like that often. I never know whether I'm going to sleep or not and it is wearing my patience a bit thin.

Something weird is going on with me too. I went on the mini pill at about 6 weeks pp before I ever had a period. I just stopped breastfeeding about the 1st or 2nd of May (but I was only bf'ing at night anyway). Anyway I began cramping today and spotted a bit. I'm really kind of confused?

hope you are all well.

 

[cococobain]

Thanks for the replies regarding the pump. I honestly thought that it was one of those big no-noes so I didn't even consider it - am currently looking online for second-hand ones! I am a bit nervous about telling prospective future bosses about needing time to pump though.

Sigh - yes, the nosefrida is awesome! I'm addicted to sucking out boogers now hahaha. It helps that LO thinks it's hilarious and giggles every time.

ttc_lolly - Oh gawd. yay for the patient nurse, I bet it was quite a scary experience for DD1 up until that point. Also, I hope that millie is doing better for you now, poor baby. Darn jabs xx

chloe & scooby -Sucks you both had to go back to work so soon, but it's encouraging knowing you like their caregivers and your LO's are doing great. I keep having weird visions of LO being stuck in a crib staring at the ceiling for hours and basically being ignored except for nappy changes and feeding. Ridiculous, right??

Hugs to mummies of crappy sleepers. When LO turned 4 months she went from STTN to waking several times to nurse - chalked it up to a growth spurt. She now sleeps from 6-6.30pm, then either wakes up nurse at 3/4am and sleeps until 6am or wakes up to nurse at 5am and then is pretty much up for the day. The 5am starts to the day are such a killer, but otherwise I can't complain.

Good luck with the sleep training Kelly M! Sleep deprivation is a form of torture for a reason xx

Am I the only one constantly getting clogged ducts? I don't know what I am doing wrong. This is the third time I've had a bruised, sore to the touch feeling and symptoms of flu coming on. I wear comfortable nursing bras and loose fitting tshirts, baby nurses frequently, am not currently pumping, LO has a good latch (at least, I think she does), what the hell? Could I go to a pharmacy and pick up the antibiotics used to treat this myself or do I need to see a doctor? I don't want to have to go in.

 

[sigh]

Happy Mother's day to you all!

Ellie didn't sleep until 330 AM last night. I spent most of the night crying because I feel like such a failure. She used to sleep so well and now she is exhausted and cranky all the time and just will not settle despite the hours (yes I nursed her for an hour at a time yesterday trying to get her to sleep), rocking, bouncing etc. Hopefully tonight goes better. We tried to give her formula but she refused to take it and now she won't take a bottle at all again. I guess she didn't like the taste. We gave Ellie rice cereal today for the first time and she was confused but interested. I'm hoping her ear isn't infected again so we can start the sleep training this Thursday! I'm so exhausted that I feel like I forget what it's like to sleep lol.

 

[expatttc]

lolly, I know that must have been scary, but I was chuckling when I thought of little dd1 finding that earring back and how clever she was to tuck it away - and the adventures which must have then ensued!! You're right...lots to look forward to! Love those good nurses! The one in Australia we saw when Rosa had her fever was so brilliant I called the hospital switchboard the next day just to say thank you again to her!

We're not ttc just yet -- but want to be if we can be while bf, so it's good news that some ladies have success -- but I think that we still need to be closer to 1 year after the c-section to safely start trying, no?

Scooby, I'd send you last years ergo from here, since they're only the equivalent of $30, but it might reach you in 6 months by sea!!!

Sigh, we tried the australian version of the nosefrida and Rosa also cries but it works!! And waaaay better than the normal aspirator which we tried and DH immediately took it and threw it out. Literally threw it. He was not amused by how much Rosa HATED it.
She also says what sounds remarkably like mamamamamama when she cries now too....I agree, funny but surreal...

Sleeping....Rosa's now going down at around 8pm with some drama, then waking up around 12, then every 2 hours after that to nurse. She won't settle if she's not nursing, and is waking up crying for the first time, every time, so I think it has something to do with teething? She's also rubbing her eye and ear, on her left side, quite a bit, and still drooling like mad, and chewing on everything. How can tell if her gums are swollen? Do they change colour?

Happy Mother's Day to all!!

 

[expatttc]

Kelly -- sweetie, you are an amazing Mom....huge you will get there...

 

[Beanonorder]

I just had the most hideous phone interview ever! I mostly accepted the interview for the experience not because I really want the job, but I feel slightly traumatised after it!!!

I realised yesterday I completely forgot to take Amber for her shots last week! Bad mom! So we're off to do that tomorrow. Hopefully she'll be as good as she has been the last few times.

I'm really sorry for those having sleep issues. I hate being sleep deprived so you really have my sympathy.

Has everyone moved their LO into their own room now? I'm starting to come round to the idea but I'm resisting it until after my MIL has been to visit. I know it sounds horrible but I don't want to get to find her tending to my child. I had said I intended to keep her in our room til six months and she'll be almost seven once MIL leaves so not that far off. And its not like Amber is causing a problem - she sleeps soundly and through the night so she isn't disturbing us.

 

[Chloe597]

kelly and sigh! So sorry about your sleep troubles.

Hope all the US ladies had a good mother's day!

Has anyone who has experienced teething noticed their LO's cheeks turning red randomly? Gabby's face keeps getting flushed, and she has been chewing on everything non stop, and so I googled her flushed cheeks and some people seem to think it can relate to teething. She also has a cold, but no fever, just a cough and runny nose.

And I LOVE my snot sucker! sooooo much better than the regular suction bulb thingy.

Good luck with the transition, Bean. I wonder if its easier or harder on the baby to do it when they are a little older? Seems like if you wait too long they will know what is going on and could potentially protest, but I don't really know what "too long" would even be. I moved G in her own room at ~8 weeks.

 

[Kelly M]

I've officially given up on sleep training. Carter has been so fussy lately and even the usual tricks are not helping so I think something else is going on. Allergies, cold, teething, or the fact he's working on his rolling over all night long. We are seeing the ped today and he has a shot too. Hoping he does well like last time, no crying.

Bean, sorry you had a bad phone interview. We are not moving Carter out of our room for awhile since we are still living in with my parents and don't have a room for him anymore. Once we get our own place (who knows when that will be) we will put him in his own room.

Sigh, I feel you! Carter was up the other night from 10pm to 1:30 am and would not settle for anything. He's been waking about 4-6 times lately and is extremely hard to put to sleep each time. It's so hard on us all! I brought him into my bed for a nap today and we both napped for two hours. But on his own, only 30 minutes. I don't know why, we've never co-slept with him before and I don't really plan on starting but he slept so well.....

 

[Chloe597]

Here's a good laugh for u all. I hooked up my pumping equipment today at work, attached the breast shields to my boobs, turned on the pump, and sat back to relax. After about 30 seconds I felt cold and wet on my pants. Looked down and I had forgotten to attach the bottles to the pumping shields so my milk was just emptying onto my nice work pants! Oh, Mondays.....

 

[sigh]

Last night she was up 9 times and I slept a total of 3.5 non consecutive hours. We put her down at 7:50 today (and she woke), then rocked her and put her down at 8:10 and she woke at 8:20, rocked her and put her down at 8:25 and she woke at 8:27. DH is currently shushing and rocking her (it's 8:50) and she's grumbling. She has been fed (for an hour), changed, her room is the perfect temp, she's dressed nice and warm... not sure what else to do. I saline/nosefrida-ed her and nothing came out...I put a towel under her mattress to elevate it a little...She has had this cold for 2 weeks now and it isn't even a bad cold... no nasal dripping, an occasional cough, no fever and only sounds congested when she cries. I feel hopeless... DH and I both work full-time and I'm afraid I'm going to lose my job because I keep messing things up because I'm so exhausted. I don't understand how she can go from sleeping 9.5 hrs straight to barely even an hour.

 

[Kelly M]

Last night she was up 9 times and I slept a total of 3.5 non consecutive hours. We put her down at 7:50 today (and she woke), then rocked her and put her down at 8:10 and she woke at 8:20, rocked her and put her down at 8:25 and she woke at 8:27. DH is currently shushing and rocking her (it's 8:50) and she's grumbling. She has been fed (for an hour), changed, her room is the perfect temp, she's dressed nice and warm... not sure what else to do. I saline/nosefrida-ed her and nothing came out...I put a towel under her mattress to elevate it a little...She has had this cold for 2 weeks now and it isn't even a bad cold... no nasal dripping, an occasional cough, no fever and only sounds congested when she cries. I feel hopeless... DH and I both work full-time and I'm afraid I'm going to lose my job because I keep messing things up because I'm so exhausted. I don't understand how she can go from sleeping 9.5 hrs straight to barely even an hour.

Oh Sigh, so sorry! Hope Ellie sleeps better soon.

Carter has had a dry cough, spitting up and fussiness. We went to the dr. today and he was prescribed zantac for acid reflux so maybe that is his problem. I'm hoping anyway....I know how it is Sigh. I rock him, nurse him, give him the pacifier, blanket, no blanket, dark room, white noise, bedtime routine, earlier bedtime, later bedtime, bath, singing, books, sshhing, patting, bouncing, nothing works! He's up all the time. I'm starting to feel resentment towards him and I hate myself for even thinking that and it makes me feel like a horrible mom. But it's hard to want to play and be cheerful when he's so fussy and I'm so damn exhausted!

edit: I don't actually resent my baby. I love him very much. I just get frustrated when he won't sleep and then I feel bad because it's in no way his fault. He's such a sweet baby and is always all smiles so this fussiness is new to me.

 

[Kelly M]

Btw chloe that story made me laugh so much! I did that once but luckily caught it before my milk let down.

 

[toothfairy29]

Hi ladies

Just logged on after a few days to see I'm not the only one with sleep problems again. Joseph is waking every 2-3 hours wanting feeding again then being hard to settle. He wakes instantly as I put him down then is wide awake playing. I'm also exhausted.

Those of you weaning early... Has it helped with sleep problems? Joseph is 5 months tomorrow and weighed 18lb 1oz 3 weeks ago at last weigh in so is a big boy. I really wanted to wait until he is 6 months but am thinking if giving him some rice?

Also do you need to sterilise the bowl etc if I have express some milk to mix it with?

 

[expatttc]

Hi tooth, happy to see you Sorry, not sure about sterilizing bowls!

Also in the sleep deprivation department over here. to all!

Our fridge/freezer blew last week so I lost all stored breastmilk. Can I give Rosa water in a bottle when we go out if I have to, i.e. if I can't feed her in public here?

 

[expatttc]

Should note that I am thinking of just an ounce of filtered water -- to tide her over if she gets really fussy until I can feed her...