FEBRUARY HEARTS Due in February 2015 , open group all welcome!

[SurpriseBub]

We plan to move around 6-7 months of age. So, as she isn't likely to be too mobile before then, we would look at baby proofing the new place.

I don't think we will do much beyond anchoring some of the furniture, and moving cleaning things etc up high. I guess we would also think about making the drawers and cupboard doors harder to slam/jam fingers in.

What were you advised to do, Izzie? What people do/are comfortable with is highly variable. The anchoring and moving cleaning things are my only musts (unless I am overlooking something obvious?)

Is swan active on the fb page? If you are still reading- I hope all is going well, swan! It has been a long time!

 

[Feronia]

We never babyproofed either. We had a really hot floor heater in our last apartment when DD was crawling, and we were able to teach her that it was hot and that she shouldn't touch it. She was only about 8-9 months when we needed to keep the heater on and she learned quickly -- so much easier than trying to make the whole area inaccessible. As for drawers, we just moved anything dangerous up higher but never used baby gates or anything.

 

[Izzie74]

We will have a baby gate, child lock the cleaning cupboard as there is nowhere to relocate stuff and move a cd tower that is a little precarious. We have thought about these things, but figured it was far to early to do them yet, and still do! We would also like to move, but I cannot get motivated to do anything about it beyond having had the flat valued.

 

[MellyH]

So Izzie, how DO you help them through the eight week leap? Mine have been tag-teaming me all day!

 

[Izzie74]

So Izzie, how DO you help them through the eight week leap? Mine have been tag-teaming me all day!

'Sometime around 8 weeks your baby will begin to experience the world in a new way. He will be able to recognize simple patterns in the world around him and in his own body. Although it may be hard for us to imagine at first, this happens in all the senses, not just vision. For example, he may discover his hands and feet and spend hours practicing his skill at controlling a certain posture of his arm or leg. He’ll be endlessly fascinated with the way light displays shadows on the wall of his bedroom. You might notice him studying the detail of cans on the grocery store shelf or listening to himself making short bursts of sounds, such as ah, uh, ehh.

Any of these things—and a whole lot more—signal a big change in your baby’s mental development. This change will enable him to learn a new set of skills that he would have been incapable of learning at an earlier age, no matter how much help and encouragement you gave him. But just as in his previous developmental leap, adjusting to this new world will not come easily at first.'

Toys suggested are - dangling overhead toys, musical moving mobiles, music, things to swipe at and touch, cuddly toys to laugh and talk with, mummy time as you are the best thing for them!

Hope this is some help!

 

[MellyH]

Thank you!! Baby boy has just started to get interested in the monkeys hanging above the bouncer, and batting at them, albeit mostly accidentally.

 

[Izzie74]

It is accidental to start with of course, but it is helping them to understand where their hands and arms are and how they can control them!

My lo also likes the rattle wrist straps from little tikes.

 

[SurpriseBub]

How long does it take to feel 'normal' again? I'm still getting cramps. And the past few days have felt awful in general. I am sure that the prolapse thing has given my confidence a knock... But I am just so sick of feeling unwell. 9 months of nausea plus birth and post partum are really taking their toll.

For those of you on baby #2 plus- how long did it take your body to feel normal again? Does it even get back to normal?

 

[Captain]

My back hurts me more now than it did during pregnancy, plus there's the stomach cramps, hemorrhoids, either constipation or diarrhea and the possibility of a prolapsed bladder. I'm so sick of it, you're not alone Surprise!

So I'm currently sitting in the laundry room at my marina and this woman comes in and starts her laundry, slamming doors and generally making as much noise as she can. Then she comes and sits next to me and makes a phone call at the top of her voice, while I'm sat her with the baby asleep in the stroller!

She finished her call and left, slamming the door behind her. So I got up and put her washing on the unbalanced signal so it isn't washing.. I'm not even sorry ladies, don't mess with a mama with a newborn!!

 

[MellyH]

Definitely don't mess with a new mumma! My work has an automated alert system that they test on the first Tuesday of every month. So my first Tuesday at home, the twins were five days old, and I was on leave for crying out loud, not even AT work, and within a half hour span while we were all trying to sleep I got a text, a robo-call, and an email (which makes my phone ping). I got woken up three times! For a bloody TEST! I rang them up and gave them a tongue-lashing and told them to take me off the contact list at least while I'm on leave.

Surprise - I still have mild cramping, usually when I pump. Now that I have bought larger breast pump parts, and am breastfeeding baby boy and bottle feeding baby girl, I don't have the terrible vasospasm in my breasts that was causing me nearly 24-hour pain, so that is good. In general I am starting to feel close to normal though, just tired. I've started exercising (just 30 minutes on the exercise bike) a few times a week and I signed up for a 5K run in two months. I am bleeding pretty heavily after having the IUD put in a week ago, hoping that will settle down soon. I still have a reasonably pregnant-looking belly, and my OB said that's my poor stomach muscles, so I am doing some gentle ab exercises - mostly just pulling my belly button into my stomach and holding for 10 seconds in sets of five or so, a few times a day, and also Kegels whenever I remember! I don't have a prolapse, sorry to hear about it for those that do, but I definitely don't have the bladder control I used to, so hoping the Kegels help! I pee a little every time I sneeze, and if I let my bladder get remotely full, I start leaking. Yikes!

And like Captain said, still dealing with haemorrhoids and the yoyo of constipation/diarrhea so that's no fun. That's kind of the new normal though!

 

[SurpriseBub]

Thanks, captain and melly! Nice to know I'm not alone... Though not nice you have a similar pregnancy hangover situation I guess we all need to be patient? I see lots of people saying they felt mch better by 6 or 12 months... So here's hoping it will be getting better and better from here!

I whole heartedly approve of your laundry intervention, captain. Some people are just awful!

 

[Feronia]

My belly is back to normal, plus a couple of extra stretch marks unfortunately. I am still having abdominal pains and occasional cramps, so I'm going to be assessed by a pelvic floor physio on Friday. My bladder doesn't leak at all so hopefully it's not too bad! I'm sure that most things will be back to normal, and other things will become the "new normal." Right now exhaustion is definitely an everyday thing for me!

Haha, captain, definitely don't mess with a new mama!

 

[SurpriseBub]

I think the 'new normal' needs to be my new mantra thanks, feronia! that is a much more positive way to think about these things- plus, I am so thankful and lucky to be a mother in this new normal!

 

[Captain]

Need a bit of advice ladies..

First, Catelyn's reflux seems to be getting worse/bothering her more. I think it's down to her taking more milk at each feeding, so there's more milk to come up once she's full. This has only been for the last day or two and since noticing, I've been stopping a lot more often to have more burps and to make sure she isn't over eating, but it's still the same. That and she seems to get upset when trying to pass wind after every feed. Her pees and poos are still regular and look normal but I just hate seeing her struggle and unhappy all the time. Last night I was up from 2am to six with her, then she was up again at eight for a feed, and now I'm trying to get her to settle in her bouncer at 10am. If I went to the Dr's today, what could they do for her?

And the second thing, I am so struggling being on my own with her. DH went back to work Sunday for three weeks and I have zero family or friends around. I last ate yesterday morning, it took so long to settle her last night that I never got to make myself food. My home is a mess, everyone keeps telling me to rest when she does but she'll wake after about an hour of napping and I can't get any sleep in that quickly. So I just lay there and don't get any sleep or get any of the house work done either.

My SIL in Calgary desperately wants me to go there so she can help out. I really wish DH and I drove there before he went back to work, but now I'm thinking of driving there myselF. It's about ten hours from here, we've done the drive dozens of times just never by myself, but I'd be okay doing it. I'd stop half way for the night if I needed to. So should I drive there for the next two weeks for a bit of help? Or should I stick it out and get used to things here? I really don't know what to do...

 

[SurpriseBub]

Big hugs, captain my husband works long hours right now, and I find that tough. I am sure it is a million times harder when your husband is completely gone. by the sounds of things, it would be good to go to Calgary... But I would worry about driving with you so sleep deprived. Would there be a way for her to come get you? Could a friend or someone take you halfway/sil meet you halfway?

I would go to the dr about the reflux... You never know what they may be able to do. My brothers baby has severe reflux, and they tried a couple of different medications and approaches before working out what helped.

I hope your day is improving.

 

[SurpriseBub]

Ps. Another thought- instead of Calgary, do you have anyone (I think you said a while ago that the neighbors were very helpful?) that might sit with catelyn for a few hours and give you time to sleep? If you have bottled milk or formula, they might be able to give you a break without you having to travel?

 

[Izzie74]

My oh is so blinking selfish sometimes I could scream.

Refused to make me a cup of tea today as he didn't want one.

Cane into the bedroom during bedtime routine while I'm sitting in the dark feeding. Opened and shut sliding wardrobe causing baby to cry. Left shutting door, came back 10 seconds later and when I tutted said we can't pussy foot around a baby. Grrr. He's not the one up with her every night. And the last two have been bad.

Says he can't help with cooking as he is at work all day.

So peed off at the moment. Need to start thinking about some of his positives, but finding it hard at the moment ....

 

[RaspberryK]

Captain, try getting a wrap/carrier but seriously about eating you need to look after yourself. I never do cry it out, but I suggest putting baby down somewhere within hearing distance and talk to her while you make yourself something. If she cries keep reassuring her, but you HAVE to eat.
Xx

 

[SurpriseBub]

Captain, try getting a wrap/carrier but seriously about eating you need to look after yourself. I never do cry it out, but I suggest putting baby down somewhere within hearing distance and talk to her while you make yourself something. If she cries keep reassuring her, but you HAVE to eat.
Xx

Very true I bought lots of things I can just grab like granola bars and tend to make myself quick/easy things like pasta with a simple sauce or something very easy like a sandwich. You are absolutely not doing baby any harm if you put her down for 5 minutes like raspberry days. Take care of yourself, too!

Sorry about your oh, izzie. Hopefully it is just a bad day!

 

[Captain]

Thank you Raspberry and Surprise

Honestly, I have one of the world's biggest appetites. Even when I'm ill I still stuff my face. Yesterday was very much a one off! I'd ran out of all my go-to snacks like granola bars so I'm picking some up before heading home.

Doctors appointment went well as I expected, nothing to worry about so I'll plod along with things. I did treat myself to some pizza afterwards so yay.

With getting groceries today and taking care of laundry yesterday, there's no need for me to go anywhere for a couple of days so I can spend the next little while focusing on getting lots of rest and into a routine with the little one.

Only 16 more days until DH is home, I can do thissssss.

Edit: oh and my little fatty is now 10lbs 1oz, up from 8.4 at birth! And as for the baby wrap, I'm working on finding a nice one that DOESNT cost over $100!