****October Bumpkins 2010 - Parenting Thread****

[Serenity81]

Thankyou Kitty, I think I will probably buy one as it would make it so much easier for getting around the house and being able to do things like washing etc. On occasions I have been carrying her in one arm and trying to do things with the other but I would rather she was secure in a sling and some jobs need 2 hands to get done. She is such a mummy's girl, she will not settle for anybody else but me, not even her daddy. She could be absolutely crying her eyes out with someone and she gets handed back to me and stops instantly!

BB- I wish my OH had got more time off, he only got 1 day off because he's been at his new job less than a year and his boss told him he only got the day off out of the goodness of his heart! That's great that the feeding is going so well, I was so surprised to find that Alexis hadn't lost any weight at all when she was weighed as I remember that my other kids had always at least lost a little bit when they first came home from hospital. Here was me worried that she wasn't getting enough milk because she seemed to be feeding so often.....that showed me, lol. I love breastfeeding, it's such a fantastic extra bonding experience.
Poor you and Due#1, you both must be in so much pain! Down below is tender enough after having a baby, never mind having an infection to put up with aswell. Hope you both get better soon.Thankfully my bleeding has almost stopped now, I am just praying it doesn't come back and if it does it's not as bad as before because that was horrific. Can't believe my little one is a month old, the time just goes way too fast! xx

 

[Serenity81]

Wow Aurora, Autumn sounds like she had a fantastic nights sleep! Alexis only woke up once during the night for a feed, so I had the best sleep last night than I've had for months! Towards the end of pregnancy I didn't sleep at all at night, one or two hours at the most and then obviously since having her I haven't slept very much xx

 

[trumpetbum]

Ouch guys, I hope those stitches feel better soon.
I have a sleep sense and huggababy sling and ds loves it. DD1 has a lingering cold/cough and is driving me crazy because she wants to be around ds all the time.
We have our first health visitor visit tomorrow, I'm not sure how much involvement I want from the HVs but I like the one we have as I've met her through a community placement I had a couple of years ago so we'll see.

 

[aurora]

I would definitely recommend a mei tai carrier. Its pretty simple to use and feels really secure!

 

[starsunshine]

I made my own sling for a fraction of the price and looked up on youtube how to tie it!!!!

I've had a really rubbish nights sleep ah well I'm hoping it's going to get better soon.

I had the health visitor yest but she didn't do much in fact I can't remember what she did at all?!

 

[Serenity81]

Thanks for the sling/carrier recommendations ladies I will have a look and decide which one to get. I got another great nights sleep last night as Alexis was only up once. She's slept most of today aswell which has given me a chance to catch up on all my housework.
Trumpetbum when I came home from the hospital my 7 year old daughter had an awful cough and cold and was forever kissing and hovering over her little sister. I felt so bad telling her to kind of keep away but I just kept thinking how awful it would be if Alexis picked it up! Thankfully she didn't although she had a bit of a snuffly nose earlier this week.
Starsunshine, my health visitor was out last week and didn't do anything either! She sat for about 5 or 10 minutes and had a conversation with my 4 year old son and was asking how my older children were aswell. I have had the same health visitor for 10 years since I had my first son. As she was leaving she said she wouldn't be out to see me again as the protocol here has changed; health visitors only go out to see first time mums and mums who need additional support. She said I will just get two more visits from a staff nurse between now and Alexis first immunisations and that will be it. She said if I have any problems or questions I can pop into the baby clinic at my gp surgery or make an appointment with my gp. Can't believe how much the system has changed since I had my 4 year old xx

 

[aurora]

I was really weirded out when I found out the HV wanted to come around. It felt invasive to me, and a pain in the ass when I have a locked gate and long driveway. Thankfully I let her come, she was great! Came 2 days in a row to weight her and answered a few important questions I had. I'd have been mad if it was a waste of time!

 

[veganmum2be]

i bought a carrier from asda a few days ago for 3.75 from the leftover baby event stuff! its brill i cant wait to use it!

hope everyones well and not too tired xx

 

[Serenity81]

I was really weirded out when I found out the HV wanted to come around. It felt invasive to me, and a pain in the ass when I have a locked gate and long driveway. Thankfully I let her come, she was great! Came 2 days in a row to weight her and answered a few important questions I had. I'd have been mad if it was a waste of time!

My health visitor is a really nice lady but she made it quite clear that she had only come out to me because she HAD to but not because she felt like she needed too. They kind of view me that because I've done it all before (this is my fourth baby) then they don't need to go over the same issues. This is true for the mostpart but at the same time there are still moments where I'm unsure of certain things and it's amazing the amount of things you actually forget aswell. I would like all of my babies to be treated like they were my first one by the professionals. Alexis is getting weighed on Thursday and I can't wait to see how heavy she is now, she certainly feels extremely heavy! xx

 

[Serenity81]

i bought a carrier from asda a few days ago for 3.75 from the leftover baby event stuff! its brill i cant wait to use it!

hope everyones well and not too tired xx

I went into Asda tonight to see if they had anything left from the baby event but it had all been removed from the shelves I am feeling much better after my scary bleeding last week and the past two nights I have had a really good sleep so making the most of it as I know how unpredictable babies can be, lol. One minute they are sleeping really well and the next they can be up 20 times a night! xx

Here are a couple of photo's of my little one

 

[Jen1802]

Hey girls, is it ok if I join. My daughter Alex was born on the 2nd October even though my estimated due date was the 21st September...she decided she was quite happy where she was so I had to be induced which was awful! Stupid epidural didn't work! Distant memory now though! lol. How is everyone getting on with their little one sleeping? Alex was on a 3 hour schedule...having to express milk as she's tongue tied and can't latch on without causing me serious nipple damage and she gets usually one or two bottles of formula per day usually at night time. Her routine has completely changed over the past two days. I've only had an hour and a half's sleep last night, feel like a zombie! She settles fine during the day but its night time she just has difficulty settling. This is our first and we've only just started trying to get her into a wee routine now, does anyone have any tips for settling their babies at night. I usually give her a bottle, bath her and then put her down for a sleep but she's just not settling whereas she was before. I thought she was going through a growth spurt but when I've tried giving her extra food she just leaves it...totally confused!! xoxo

 

[KittyVentura]

Can I get some advice please ladies?

I LOVE my MIL... She is so supportive and wonderful. Fin is her first grandchild and she dotes on him. This means the world to me because my own parents have no interest in me or Fin and I want him to have a close family.

MIL has kindly offered to babysit as and when we need it. Good times. Ian's Christmas party is 4th Dec and his work put on a big black tie event. Like a gala dinner/ball and they put us up in a hotel etc. So he'll be going overnight then just before he's 2 months old. He'll be going for a practice night in Nov while we are local and probably an evening here before then.

So that's the background... and here's my issue... she has some retro parenting ideas and I don't want them enforced on my son. She was a proper supermum so thinks what worked for her should work for us... she's not preachy at all but keeps trying ot give the same advice no matter how many times I explain my views.

E.G-
* She FF her boys and would only given them a feed when it was due... IF they weren't due afeed for an hour... they'd wait an hour even if crying etc. She can't get her head round the concept of demand feeding. I can express and leave food but he'll need bottle offered as frequently as the boob... which can be every 20 mins when he clusters.
* She also has the view that once you've checked nappy, fed, winded etc you should leave baby to cry himself to sleep. That might work when they get older but not when baby is so young. I won't be taking that approach unless I have to and then for a good while.

When we go for dinner at theirs on Sundays her and my DH try and make me leave him to cry if he goes off when we're eating dinner. He's too small, doesn't know better and I can't do it so it reduces me to tears... DH is a proper Mummy's boy so wants to folow her advice because his mum can do no wrong.

So I guess I'm worried that when we leave Fin with her she'll leave him to cry and not offer him food as much as he needs it... not from neglect... just from her only doing what she knows. She's been so wonderful and supportive so I don't know how best to approach it...

Thanks guys xx

Oh and Serenity... Alexis is GORGEOUS xx

 

[starsunshine]

aw Kitty, what a dilema. Don't really have any advice but thought I'd give some hugs.

Leo went 4hrs at a time last night woohoo!

 

[brunettebimbo]

Kitty I'm not quite sure, I wouldn't like her parenting ways either. Have you spoke to your Hubby about it? How does he feel?

I do leave Tristan to cry but not if it's a proper cry IYKWIM? If I've fed him changed his nappy etc and I know he is only moaning for cuddles I leave him but if his moans turn into an upset cry I try feeding him again.

I had a really crappy night last night, Tristan woke every 1-2 hours!! You can imagine he fed ALOT! I'm using nipple shields at the moment and with him feeding so much I ran out of sterile shields sotried feeding him without, he sucked a little, messed around then screamed! I can't get him to latch properly without. I've well and truly put a rod in my own back!! I've tried putting milk on he end of my nipple but he just puts his open mouth over my nipple and shakes his head! I really don't know what to do I need to wean him off them but I don't think he will take to it.

 

[Jen1802]

Brunettebimbo, I've been using nipple shields also coz of Alex's tongue tie, my midwife told me that you don't have to sterilise them after every use just once a day, as long as you wash them between uses in really hot soapy water they are fine to use. You could maybe try using a breast pump to prime your breast before feeding and help shape the nipple, its been working for me but unfortunately I'm too sore to go without the nipple shields...even using them is painful a lot of the time so I'm expressing nearly all the time at the minute. Good luck! xo

 

[KittyVentura]

Wooo... I've come down ill Just when BF was getting easier comes another spanner in the works. Think I've got Tonsillitis. I get it so often and this ill and sore throat feels so familiar x

 

[crazyrae]

Hello, know I'm not officially here yet but I like hearing how you're all getting on! I know I am not in this situation to advise, but here are my thoughts anyway...!

Kitty - that's a tough one, really doesn't put you at ease. But hopefully, at 2 months it's more likely he'll be ok waiting longer/in a routine so it won't bother him so much - it won't be the same as the first few weeks when they are more likely to need feeding in short spurts? But in the mean time, stand up to them and say no, I need to feed him and do what you want to do, don't let them bully/upset you - and make sure you give your OH hell for not supporting you in front of her!!

BB - could you get some milton fluid/tablets and throw the shields in there after every feed so by the time you need them again, you have one sterile? (takes 15 mins to sterilise)

 

[MadamRose]

may i ask why many people are using nipple sheilds? i see you all talking about them but dont really know about the

 

[MadamRose]

So you aint all wondering who i am. I used to be Due#1-2010 but now ive had Chloe is doesnt work so i got it changed

 

[aurora]

bb I am feeling your pain today! Autumn has been sleeping every night 6.5 hours, but its been preceded by a few hours of gassy miserable baby.
Last night.. no gassy miserable baby, so she didn't poop herself out... and she woke every 1-1.5 hours. What was really frustrating though is she'd hardly feed before falling back to sleep! I couldn't get enough in her belly to get her to sleep very long.