July/August Mummies

Forum for those who have undergone successful treatment, and wish to share their experiences of parenthood.
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Toni
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Posts: 360
Joined: Thu Oct 07, 2004 8:27 am

Post by Toni »

Hiya all

right - weaning has been fine for me..................the twins absolutely love their food! which is good beacuse i think i would have gone off the deep end if they hadn't!! having a pretty hard time at the moment - starting to feel pretty low some days. the smiles and giggles make up for it and its lovely to see them develop but its just so much hard work now that they are awake so much more and want my attention! its lovely that they love me so much (Jackie - like Joshua, Thomas loves to cuddle into me, and even falls asleep if he is really tired!).

My solids plan is:

Thomas

Breakfast - 7am bottle (9ozs)

Lunch - 12pm bottle (7ozs), solids meal. fruit for desert.

snack at 3ish, and water/juice (mine are very fussy when it comes to juice! not keen on the beaker either)

Dinner - 5pm bottle (7ozs), solids meal. yogurt.

Supper - 9.30pm bottle (9ozs - but Tom rarely takes it all!!)

Charlotte

Same but feeds are only 4 hrs apart, so its 8, 12, 4 and 8 again, with a snack and water/juice at 2pm

u guys seem to have a lot more feeds than me - am i doing something wrong? I was told to tie my bottles in with their feeds and to keep them on bottles for as long as possible. tom is starting to lose interest in his milk especially as he now knows tastier things are on offer!! he loves his food and i think he would eat cardboard if i set it down in front of him! Charlotte is a bit fussier and im starting to learn that there are certain things she is not too keen on! im gonna start leaving their lunch time bottles and replacing them with juice this week.

i feel awful now........ ur babies seem to eat tons more than mine! But to be honest my twins do seem very happy and healthy on it!!

I get a lot of mammas, especially when they are crying, i dont think its speaking just natural noise progression! although i like to tell myself they are asking for me ....... and the other thing we get alot of is 'Yeh'. they say that when we are talking to them, asking a question! and the hiya thing is common too. The giggles are wonderful too!! Charlotte has taking to giggling just for the sake of it when Tom is giggling, like a competition!! its really very cute and funny to watch....

Sophie - Freya sounds like my two with the crawling. i wish i had a mini parachute for charlotte cos she is just like a skydiver too, sometimes. she is rolling over though. she goes back to front and sometimes front to back - though sometimes she gets upset cos she has her arm trapped under her. tom rolls back to front and then thats it. charlotte also shuffles along on her back, and she is getting to grips with sitting but not quite doing it yet! Tom is trying to shuffle himself forward - i think he is gonna be off soon.

no teeth yet - but they are very much on the way. lots of tears, hard gums, chewing of toys and fingers and red cheeks...... think tom could cut one very very soon.......................

The one bright spot is that once charlotte goes down at 8.30 shes out for the night 9/10 times. Tom has always slept well but he wont go down much earlier so we are having to bring his sleeping time down slowly. at the moment its 10pm. next week it will be 9.45 etc etc. putting him in bed early just doesnt work..............................

I feel so behind compaired to you lot.................... you are all so brilliant!

Toni xx
Trying to conceive for over a yr
First ICSI - Nov 04 - Twins!!!
Thomas and Charlotte born 06/07/05 :D
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Kim
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Posts: 141
Joined: Wed Oct 20, 2004 11:50 am

Post by Kim »

Toni

I think your way of tying in bottles with food is probably the right way of doing things. I just found it hard to get Thomas to eat and also drink the required amounts at the same time so I spaced things out a bit. I guess the main thing is that they're getting the right amounts. It sounds like the twins are thriving and happy - you should be proud of yourself.

I have low days too. They tend to happen if I don't get out and about and it's so easy to get stuck in a rutt. It's also quite hard because you can't just think - right I'm off to Tescos to pick up a couple of bits - a quick trip to the shops now has to be planned around feeds and sleeps etc... and it must be doubly hard for you. Yes of course it's all worth it and we wouldn't change a thing but that doesn't make it any easier and some days are harder than others.

I really don't know how you do it !!! Twins must be such very hard work - I'm not sure I could cope - I really do admire you !!

Oh and by the way - they are totally gorgeous !!

Love

Kim xxx
Jackie S
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Posts: 183
Joined: Sun Dec 07, 2003 10:54 am
Location: Warwickshire, England

Post by Jackie S »

Hi everyone

Hope you and your little ones are all ok. Can't believe they all at least 6 months old already. Joshua seems to do new things everyday -it is great isn't it?

Joshua is doing great and still the centre of attention wherever he goes. We went for a uni meal to celebrate the Chinese New Year and they all adored Joshua. John's boss fetched a bowl of icecream for herself and sat Joshua on her lap while she 'ate' it. Unfortunately Joshua had other ideas and ate the whole bowl himself. I think he had sore gums (he seems to have a day of teething symptoms then nothing more for a couple of weeks) the look of relief on his face when the icecream was melting in his mouth was amazing.

We are visiting my cousin at the weekend, I have only met her 2 times but we have written to each other since I was about 8 years old. They live in Devon and we live in Coventry. Anyway we are going to stay with her for the night before we come back on Sunday. I am so looking forward to seeing her and showing Joshua off.

I have posted another picture of Joshua on

www.photobucket.com


User ID - ivfgroup
Password - ivfgroup

Would love to see more pictures of all the other June/July babies!!

I can't believe how organised you all seem to be with meals. Joshua has only been on solids since Boxing day so is still on 2 meals a day.

Bottle -8am
dinner & bottle- approx 1pm
tea & bottle -approx 6pm
bedtime bottle -approx 10pm

He loves his food and seems to have a wide range of likes. The only thing he refused to eat was brocolli & cauliflower. He loves having peas, carrots sweetcorn and rice together (lovely green goo!) and he loves weetabix. He really enjoyed chicken and rice -he has only had meat once so far. I tend to give him tinned apricot and tinned peaches puree which he adores -I think it is definitely his favorite. The health visitor said it is ok to give tinned fruit if it is in juice not syrup. It is a lot softer and doesn't go brown.

Kim -Joshua has only ever used a sleeping bag and he is really happy in it. He hates being covered but he is fine with the sleeping bag. I find he tends not to move around that much when he is in it. He sleeps with his pig, a tigger cuddly toy which rattles and a large crocodile activity cuddly toy that rattles, squeaks, crinkles etc lots of different textures. I also have a musical projector that plays a lullaby for 10 minutes when he goes to bed. He is brilliant at night and seems to get on with his routine. We bath him about 7pm and play with him for an hour. Then he has a cuddle until bedtime. We feed him, change him etc then we read him a bedtime story. John shows him round his bedroom, we have fabric poohbear, eeyore and piglet wallhangings so John lets Joshua have a feel of them -his favorite is Eeyore. Then John lets him have a look at himself in the mirror for a few minutes. This is when I take over. I dim the lights and put Joshua in his cot. Then I put his mobile on (poohbear of course!). After it has finished playing I place his dummy in his mouth and put his pig in his arms, give him a kiss and turn the projector on and leave the room. He is always asleep within 10 minutes. He sleeps straight through until at least 8am when John goes in to say goodbye before he goes to work.

Joshua is still a little monster during the day. He still cries a lot but is interacting so much now. He is very strong -always been able to support his own neck since he was born. He likes to stand on my tummy. He holds on to my fingers and pulls himself up and stands there grinning for ages before he plops down. He loves to play airplanes too.

I had an accident with my camera on Saturday. I was taking lots of pictures of Joshua and he was sitting on the floor. He started to fall and I dropped my camera and grabbed him. The camera landed on its lens and was a right-off the lens collapsed and fell apart. So Sunday I got a new digital camera. It is a lot smaller than my old one so hopefully won't be easily damaged. I have taken 583 pictures of Joshua since Sunday. So far I have filled 8gb on my laptop with photos most of them are of Joshua. He is such a poser!!!

Anyway, I had better go for now, we are going to watch the new Wallace and Gromit movie. Joshua is having a cuddle off his daddy!

Jackie
Me 36 husband 38. Been together for over 16 years.
2000 -2003 Clomid
Sept - Oct 03 IVF abandoned due to poor response.
Dec -Feb 04 IVF early m/c
Sept -Nov 04 IVF ++++

10 July 2005 -Our precious son Joshua James was born.
Kim
Regular
Posts: 141
Joined: Wed Oct 20, 2004 11:50 am

Post by Kim »

Hi Jackie

Thomas has been in his sleeping bag for two nights now. I thought he'd hate it because he hates being covered but he's been fine. He still wakes once during the night for a 4oz bottle but last night, in his new sleeping bag, he went straight back to sleep afterwards. I think it must be lovely and cozy for him and I certainly feel happier knowing he is nice and warm. Thomas also sleeps with a teddy and he's gone to sleep, the last two nights, on his side with one hand touching his teddy.

You sound as if you've been keeping busy, how are you feeling at the moment ?

Am now going to have a quick look on photobucket and will put a picture of Thomas on there soon.

Love

Kim
Kim
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Posts: 141
Joined: Wed Oct 20, 2004 11:50 am

Post by Kim »

DH took some really sweet pictures of Thomas the other day and I've put a couple on Photobucket.

Jackie - Joshua is sooo cute !!!!

Would love to see more baby pictures to see how they're all growing.

Love

Kim xxx
Susan L
Regular
Posts: 172
Joined: Fri Dec 12, 2003 1:02 am
Location: W London uk

Post by Susan L »

Hi everyone

hope you are all doing ok

im in need of some advice on solids blake and kirsten are a little fussy with food and they are refusing to eat food with any sort of lumps i have tried just thickening the food up a bit then tried putting in little lumps but they just gag on it so was told to try slices finger food but they just chuck it about and squash it i feel terrible as i dont feel they are eating right, Kirsten is worse she wont evan try anything she just looks with her lips shut tight and wont even open her mouth until i move away then she starts babling so i go back to her and she stops and turns away its like a game to her as she just laughs and chats to herself when i walk away, blake was eating fine when it was just sloppy food what am i doing wrong.

Kim nice to hear the sleeping bag is helping

All the baby pics on photo bucket are so cute i just added a pic of my two

take care all

susan L
Me 27 DP 28
ttc 6 years started ivf Oct 03 due to M/F
ICSI Oct 03 negative
ICSI April 04 Positive but ended m/c at 10wks
FET Nov 04 positive boy girl twins born 5th july 2005 at 35weeks Blake 6lbs13oz kirsten 6lbs10oz
Kim
Regular
Posts: 141
Joined: Wed Oct 20, 2004 11:50 am

Post by Kim »

Hi Susan

The pictures of the twins are lovely, I especially like the one of Blake - how on earth did you get him to pose like that, it's such a gorgeous photo.

I'm not sure what to say about the twins not liking lumps in their food. I had a quick look in my Annabel Karmel Cookbook and she says that if your baby refuses lumpy food that you can make the transition easier by introducing a little mashed or grated food into their usual purees or perhaps make their favourite meal in a thicker or coarser form.

If I give Thomas finger foods he just mashes it up and chucks it on the floor but I think that's normal at this stage.

You really aren't doing anything wrong, lots of babies don't like lumps in their food to start off with.

It might be an idea to start a new thread about this so that you can ask some of the more experienced mums.

Anyway, I hope I've been a little bit of help. Good Luck !!!!!

Kim xxx
Toni
Regular
Posts: 360
Joined: Thu Oct 07, 2004 8:27 am

Post by Toni »

Hi Susan

ggodness - feeding twins is hard hey? especially when you have one thats ok, then the other that won't touch it! Charlotte is such a fussy eater, so i know what you are going through with Kirsten. but we are getting their.

Okay, well my two were none too keen on lumps to start with either. the first time i tried some mashed banana in with the pureed stuff id done, so there were some soft lumps, and Thomas just gagged so much i gave up. I was frightened to death of choking him, and didnt even dare try it on Charlotte! A couple of weeks later i tried some chopped vegeatbles in with the pureed stuff again, some tiny (v v tiny!!) bits of onion, carrot, brocolli. and there were gagging moments but i let them cough and get over it, gave them time to try and mash it down and some water in between spponfuls, and guess what? Now they are fine!! we still have a couple of moments and its still very scary...... but we are getting there as i said. I would say give yourself a break and try it every couple of days ... i just had a break over the weekend myself and went lumpy again today!

I also found Charlotte wouldnt open her mouth sometimes, and i had some very soft first weaning spoons. i hadnt really used them as they were made of this very soft thin flexible rubber. it was just too bendy for me! i tried using them and found that i could force them through charlottes clamped lips!! it sounds cruel, i know, i was never rough with her. But it worked. she could taste the food and started to chew on it. well mash her gums down. now she has a new trick of shaking her head from side to side really fast if she has had enough. I think she prefers the softer spoons anyway now as her gums just seem to be constantly sore and the harder spoons just hurt.

Hope this helps, let me know how you get on - off to look at your twins now.

Toni xxxx
Trying to conceive for over a yr
First ICSI - Nov 04 - Twins!!!
Thomas and Charlotte born 06/07/05 :D
Toni
Regular
Posts: 360
Joined: Thu Oct 07, 2004 8:27 am

Post by Toni »

Hiya again

Kim - Just wanted to say thanks for your kind words the other week, it meant a lot to know someone out there was listening, and understanding. yout Thomas looks just scrummy.

Susan - your twins are soo gorgeous you must be so proud - keep us updated with regular pics.....

Jackie - again, Joshua is so adorable. but how do you find time to take so many pictures?! You have what, over 1500 now? Blimey woman!! i dont even get time to sit them still for very long let alone snap away!! hes a right little poser isn't he though, bless him!!! Hee hee!!!!!

I love seeing pics of all our babies and how they are growing (and boy, aren't they growing fast?!?!) But I have still to see Indira, Freya, Priya and Zachariah ... come on mummies!!! unless i have missed some??

I have added a couple more of mine. They are not great shots though...........

Toni xxx
Trying to conceive for over a yr
First ICSI - Nov 04 - Twins!!!
Thomas and Charlotte born 06/07/05 :D
Susan L
Regular
Posts: 172
Joined: Fri Dec 12, 2003 1:02 am
Location: W London uk

Post by Susan L »

Thankyou Kim and Toni for the advice i have tried a few new things and we are getting there slowly

Kim i never got him in the pose the lady in the studio did I have no idea how she got him to stay like that as he never stays still when i want to take a photo...how are your nights going with the sleeping bag is Thomas sleeping well now?

Toni im finding feeding the both of them at the same time so hard as blake eats well and kirsten just plays up even with the bottle she is a madam she does that head shaking side to side so fast i cant get the bottle in her mouth, they are both not very keen on water and really dont like juice but i just keep trying them with it hopefully they will get used to it soon im finding its getting so difficult to get anything done as they are awake so much more in the day very tiring though would not change a thing well maybe to be 10 years younger. my two have 2 teeth now at the bottom and think they might be getting 1 at the top now has charlotte and thomas got any teeth through yet.

oh better leave it at that as just noticed the time better get to bed speak to you all soon

take care

susan
Me 27 DP 28
ttc 6 years started ivf Oct 03 due to M/F
ICSI Oct 03 negative
ICSI April 04 Positive but ended m/c at 10wks
FET Nov 04 positive boy girl twins born 5th july 2005 at 35weeks Blake 6lbs13oz kirsten 6lbs10oz
Toni
Regular
Posts: 360
Joined: Thu Oct 07, 2004 8:27 am

Post by Toni »

Hi Sue and Kim

(you must get so many people doing the old WKD advert??!! Sorry - off topic!! :? :wink: )

No, no teeth as yet, but checking every day! It really cannot be far off as they are both complete nightmares with their teething! I can't help but feel sorry for them as it must be so horrible. (its no wonder we don't remember being a baby!) but its also frustrating. Sometimes i cannot do anything but cuddle them til they cry to sleep. Teething gel does nothing for my two, they just suck it off my fingers before i can get to rub it on their gums! i do give them a bit of calpol if they seem really distressed, as my health visitor said to do, and icy bite teething toys seem to help - the ones you put in the fridge. any ideas, suggestions, folks?!

The other thing thats been bothering me is that Charlotte (the little pesky pest :) ) has taken to rolling over in her sleeping bag during the night. I was so worried she might smother herself! I went into their nursery yesterday morning during their nap just to check on them, and she was face down. she hadn't even turned her head to the side. of course i panicked!!! So i rang the health visitor after sorting her out and spoke to some woman who just started to pick holes in my routine!! i was told i should not put my babies down at night with a full tummy (ie, Charlotte eats at 8 and goes straight to bed, thomas at 9. how does everybody else do this?!) Also to revert back to blankets, which i was going to do anyway (although now she gets out from under them and gets cold!!), but also you should not put your baby in a baby grow if they are using a sleeping bag?! Because of overheating? Surely at this time of year they would get cold? my two have been fine in their bed cloths. What do you do guys?

Anyway i can hear them starting so id better go!!!

Toni xx
Trying to conceive for over a yr
First ICSI - Nov 04 - Twins!!!
Thomas and Charlotte born 06/07/05 :D
Kim
Regular
Posts: 141
Joined: Wed Oct 20, 2004 11:50 am

Post by Kim »

Hi there peeps !!

Sue - Nights with Thomas at the moment are not good. If he gets a cold or has a blocked nose he just won't sleep in his cot. It's something we need to sort out as it's really disrupting our evenings/ nights. The sleeping bag did work before he got this cold though so we'll be using it when we get him back in his own room.

Toni - When Thomas was teething I got some Ashton and Parsons Infants Powder from Boots. It's herbal and it really seemed to calm him. We gave it to him using a weaning spoon ( you need a steady hand ) and he seemed to like the taste. At this time of year when I put Thomas in his sleeping bag I dress him in a vest and baby grow and will continue to do so until the weather gets warmer. I can't use blankets because Thomas kicks them off and then it's too cold for him. Thomas has a 6oz bottle before he goes to bed - I thought you were supposed to give your baby warm milk before bed to help him sleep?! :? If your routine works then why change it - you're not doing anything wrong. Sounds like you need to keep an eye on Charlotte though - face down - what's she trying to do - give mummy a heart attack !!! Little Monkey !!! I panicked when Thomas started rolling onto his tummy in bed but there's not much we can do about it now they're getting more mobile.

Jackie - How did you get on in Devon with your cousin, hope you had a good time.

Anyway, time to go ( Thomas is a bit under the weather and needs a cuddle. )

Love to all mums and babies

Kim
Toni
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Posts: 360
Joined: Thu Oct 07, 2004 8:27 am

Post by Toni »

Hi Kim

thanks for that you have made me feel much better. I really hate that Charlotte wakes up in the early hours of the morning when she gets cold, as its not good for her aswell as us!! I went a bought some really fleecy baby grows today to try and help combat the coldness..... a friend suggested it, so we will see how we get on. just worried now about over heating!!!

And ill go and get some of that herbal stuff too!!

thanks again

how is everyone else!?

Toni x
Trying to conceive for over a yr
First ICSI - Nov 04 - Twins!!!
Thomas and Charlotte born 06/07/05 :D
Susan L
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Posts: 172
Joined: Fri Dec 12, 2003 1:02 am
Location: W London uk

Post by Susan L »

Hi all hope you are all doing well

toni i too dress mine in baby grows with the sleeping bags and they have a feed before i put them to bed thats why i thought it was called a bed time bottle and they do fine so if its working the way you are doing it then dont change it you no your babies best..

Kim i hope thomas is feeling better

im having some bad nights sleep with blake he keeps waking between 3 and 4.30am and wont go back to sleep unless he goes in with me which i dont like doing but i do it because i dont want him waking kirsten up as he has before and it turned out terrible as i had them both screaming til about 5 my partner goes to work between 3 and 4 so i feel it easier to take him in with me but then i dont sleep to well the advise i get from my mum is well he knows what to do then, so helpful she is :x


better go and get some sleep speak to you all soon

susan
Me 27 DP 28
ttc 6 years started ivf Oct 03 due to M/F
ICSI Oct 03 negative
ICSI April 04 Positive but ended m/c at 10wks
FET Nov 04 positive boy girl twins born 5th july 2005 at 35weeks Blake 6lbs13oz kirsten 6lbs10oz
Toni
Regular
Posts: 360
Joined: Thu Oct 07, 2004 8:27 am

Post by Toni »

HI Sue

I have had the same problem with Charlotte - but i reckon its mainly cos she has been porrly this week, with both her teeth and a sicky thing. I know what you mean about taking them into bed with you. I hate doing it beacuse a) Im worried she will over heat and b) its not good for them to get too used to it, i think.

Maybe Blake needs more milk before bed? or increses his daytime feeds a little more? My mum said she used to give my brother some rusk before bed as well as his bottle as it helped him sleep through. My brother never stopped eating by all accounts!!

Hope this helps

Toni xx
Trying to conceive for over a yr
First ICSI - Nov 04 - Twins!!!
Thomas and Charlotte born 06/07/05 :D
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