April/May 2008 MOMS (all others are welcomed too)

[robinsonpr]

Woodcliff, they wake up on their own for the 11-12pm feed. However last night they didn't, so like you I thought I'd leave them to see how long they'd go. It was only until 1am, so we fed them 6oz and they went back to sleep.

They still woke up at 4am, probably thinking they wanted feeding, but I didn't let them (does mummy know best!?!?!?!). We took them into bed with us and they settled until 6.30am. This 4am wake up happens every night and it seems the only way they'll go back to sleep again is to let them sleep on us. Hopefully they'll start sleeping through it soon!

I think one of the boys would possibly sleep through if left alone. But what I am doing at the moment is taking the cue from his brother who ALWAYS wakes up first. Once he wakes up we unwrap his brother who is normally sleeping soundly. I'm tempted to let him sleep to see what happens but I Just know that if I fed the early waker at 11pm I'd probably get him back settled and the other one would wake up and want feeding! I'd then end up in a right state of staggered feeding/wakings and get no sleep myself!!

I do feel I'm on the right track though...much more so than a couple of weeks ago!!!

Love, Hayley xx

[woodcliff]

Your so on the right track!
I let my son sleep longer than my daughter one night, and I also let her sleep through the 2 (or was it a 3?) a.m. feeding...and she slept through till 6 a.m. or so...
Last night they woke at 2:15, or she did...a step back from the 3:30 to 4 am wake up.
sigh..I believe they'll eventually sleep through till 5 or so.

Mine no longer awake for the 11:00 PM feeding...THAT is new in the past 3 weeks, though...they sleep from the 7:30 feeding until (normally) a 3:40 feeding...

love, ME
xxoo

[kipatte]

Hi:

There are so many posts I hope I remember what I wanted to say.

Haley; Stephie was very constipated and we switched from Farleys to Aptimil. That did the trick. We use the Dr. Brown bottles and like them. We started with breastflow but they leaked a lot and we got frustrated with them.

It's funny, I have not been worried about a schedule at all. Feeding dictates everything and she normally sleeps between feeds but there are always a couple where she doesn't and you never know which ones. If I take her out she will always sleep. She loves the noise and motion. She will go longer between feeds when she is out.

She always has a bottle between 10:00 and midnight and then will go around 4 -5 hours. My DH does the last feed before midnight so that gives me a longer stretch to sleep ( I try to go to bed by 10:00) then I get up for the night feed which is usually between 3:30 and 5:00. That works well for us.

She had jabs yesterday and we lucked out... no fever and other then being fussy around 7:00 she slept fine last night. They don't give the Hepatitis B here. We will have to wait until we move back to the states for that one.

I love the thermometer story. How funny. She poops generally every other day, two in one day. We don't bath her if she has a poop free day which is better for their skin so they don't get so dried out.

I know I forgot to respond to some. I will have to log in more often to keep up!

Love to all,

K

[Mandy J]

OMG! Mount Vesuvius has exploded!!!!! Ellie didn't do a poop for 3 days I was a little concerned but was told it was perfectly normal for them to not go for as long as up to 10 days as long as they are not distressed in discomfort....but when she does...watch out!

We finally have our moving date, on Friday 4th July, can't wait, I'm so excited. DH wants to hire a van and move ourselves...I want toget a removal firm and am refusing to shift anything bigger than a normal box...no doubt he will get his own way as usual! It will be such a relief to not be living out of boxes...we packed about 2 weeks before Ellie was born and have to keep trying to find things we need now!

Hope you are all keeping well girls

Mandy
x

[Mandy J]

Well ladies,

I've had my first hard day with Ellie, since 3pm this afternoon I have been constantly feeding around every hour, it is now 11pm and she is still eating her hand wanting more!

I tried expressing some a few hours ago, but my boobs were just totally empty. I'm hoping I can get her settled for the night now.

I looked on the internet because I was worried I was losing my milk supply, but apparantly it could be just a period they go through between 6-8 weeks or a growth spurt, but as she is not in distress it should be nothing to worry about, I hope not anyway! But I think I will buy some formula tomorrow just to have in case its needed at any time.

I was thinking it might be linked with yesterday's nappy explosion, it happened again this morning and since then she's had 4 dirty nappies - perhaps there was a blockage????

Anyway, we'll see what happens tonight

Mandy
x

[woodcliff]

Mandy, no blockage...my twins get ravenous after a big poop or two! teeny bodies get cleared out so easily...
I admire you don't even have formula in the house!!! wow
yes, get some for back up to give your poor boobs a break!

xxoo

[Mandy J]

WC: you were totally right, we had 2 days of nearly constant feeding , but today things have returned to normal, she is now having dirty nappies 3-4 times a day but not an extreme like before, and feeding seems to have calmed down back to 6 feeds a day!

I've bought just 1 emergency formula for the time being, DH would like me to do formula more so that he can feed Ellie too, although I do express, I don't seem to get more than 1 feed a day for a bottle, which may be a problem when I go back to work, but I am trying hard to increase my supply soon. I am reluctant to do formula unless I really have to, only because I was formula fed and suffer terribly with eczema and BF can apparantly be better to prevent that for Ellie.

She is turning into quite a little water baby now, loving the bath but screams her head off when I take her out of the water...

Mandy
x

[woodcliff]

quick note...hi ladies...everyone must be terribly busy (duh!)

My 3 month olds are sleeping through the night...
zzzzz

I hope all of you are OK
COCOA? You too!
or especially...
xxoo

[Mandy J]

Thats great WC, at least your own energy can get back to normal....haha if you are getting proper sleep yourself!

I have been coming on a few times to see if anyone's posting...where are ya all?

We are house moving today and tomorrow, Ellie has been a bit grouchy today, but then she hasn't had my attention as much with unpacking boxes etc! I'm totally shattered now, all the big furniture is getting moved tomorrow.

Ellie gets her injections on Tuesday, I went last week...oops, I sat in the doctors waiting room for nearly an hour before the health visitor told me, I felt so stupid! So action replay this week.

We just found out my DH can go part time at work, which will be great for when I go back to work properly, we will be able to look after Ellie between us without the need for childcare, fingers crossed it will work out ok.

Hope all you girls and little ones are keeping well.

Mandy
x

[kipatte]

Mandy, it's the 4th of July weekend in the states. Everyone is very busy with friends and family. I love the celebration and I miss it.

I am curious about how IVF works in the UK. Mine were done in the states and were not covered by insurance.

I heard that in the U.K. you have a free go? then pay for subsequent ones? Is it hard or easy to get in-vitro in the U.K.? Do you have to go through other treatments first? Why would someone living in the U.K go to the states for IVF? ( I know someone who did this)

Sorry for all the questions,


Kipatte

[Mandy J]

Kipatte: We asked for a free go at IVF, but we were told we were not eligible as DH has grown up children of his own....I was annoyed bacause although I think the world of them, they are not mine and they never lived with us, although we are close.

I asked if we could egg share to make our IVF cheaper, but I am too old so my eggs would be poorer quality.

I asked if I was a lesbian if I could then get treatment on the NHS and was told YES.....totally unbelievable, don't get me wrong, I am not against same sex paternships having children, but the whole thing does seem a bit unfair.

We did look into wether to go to the carribean for a treatment, and have a relaxing holdiay too, the cost included reflexology, acupuncture, 5 star accomodation and IVF treatment, cheaper than just the treatment in the UK, and there success rates were published as greater than here....BUT DH had PESA and his sperm was frozen here, so that would mean he would have to have it flown over...more cost...or go through it again..he said NO!!!! Understandable.

Happy 4th July!

Mandy
x

[woodcliff]

Mandy! Best of luck to you on your move...gosh, it is so tiring, isn't it?
And congrats to your husband re: the PT working, so you don't have to hire someone to look after Ellie...

Funny that she gets cranky when she doesn't get your full attn! I thought I was imagining things, but I had a sitter in for 2 days from 9 - 6 then 11 - 8 last week...my daughter? turned her head away from me when I went to pick her up!

Oh I felt awful...
I do have a sitter come in when I hit the wall...at around 2 or 3 in the afternoon, for anywhere from 4 to 6 hours...it really helps, BUT my sitter wants to work 9 to 7 to make money for her vacation!
HUH? What will I do? Twiddle my thumbs?
NO way will I sit back and watch someone have all of the fun with my babies...even if it means losing a good sitter. (We seem to accomodate her more than vice versa)

INTERESTING the rules re: IVF in the UK..

LOVE TO ALL

[Vlada]

So, WC when you say that you little ones sleep through the night, from what hour at night to what hour in the morning?
I am very curious because Tesa is 11.5 weeks old and she only sleeps 4 to 5 hour stretches, for example she would go to bed at about 8 pm then she'll wake up around midnight , then around 4 30 am and then she will either sleep straight untill 7 30 am or she she would wake up in the middle of that stretch at about 6 am. I don't really know if it is normal for her age, so ladies could you share your night schedule?
Vlada

[kipatte]

Mandy, thanks for the info. I think in their effort to be fair (lesbian IVF) they are unfair to others. You would think that any female who has not had a baby should be elgible regardless of the husbands status.

Vlada, Stephie only sleeps 4-5 hour stretches at night also. If we can get an 11-5 or 12-6, that is really nice. we have had a couple of these. Is your little one still fussy? or has she settled down?

WC, with twins I imagine you would need help! I have to admit the bottle feeding does help since DH can take her a lot of the weekend. That gives me a little break.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful 4th of July weekend.

K

[Vlada]

Kipatte,
What time does Stephie go to bed? If she wakes up at 5 or 6 am , does she fall asleep right after or is it the time when she usually wakes up to start her day?
Vlada