2005/2006 mummy's

[k]

Hi everyone

Susie - Your Ryan is so good! I thought I was doing well! Jenna tends to go at least 5 or 6 hours now on a night from approx midnight to 6am.
Feeding varies throughout the day and also from day to day. Sometimes she has quiet days where she sleeps most of the time and other days she wants to feed more or be held a lot of the time. Evenings she seems to 'stock up' and feed hourly or 2 hourly!! It is easier than I thought though - so far! - hope it keeps up! I have looked forward to when she can do more though, so after what you have said, I will make sure I enjoy every stage.

Jo - Thanks for the website. I WILL post some photos of Jenna soon!
Enjoy your trip to Tasmania, hope all goes well. Id love to go there!

Sher - Look forward to seeing your photos of Siena! Hope you are managing to sleep well inbetween the feeds! It is amazing how our bodies adapt to different sleeping patterns isnt it?

Smita - Welcome to this side!! Cant wait to catch up with you again soon.
Hope you are enjoying every moment with Dhruvaa. Take it easy!

Take care everyone, have to go Jenna is crying for a feed and doesnt want to be cuddled by her Daddy anymore! (hes taken some days holiday, so Im making good use of him at the moment!)
Catch up soon
Love Kim

[Sher8]

Hello There,

Just checking in to see how everyone is getting along??

Siena is one month old this week and she is already growing. She eats all the time. I was curious who else here is breastfeeding and how long you plan to do so? I recently looked into joining a local Moms Club as I think this will be nice to meet some people with same interests. It's funny, but most of my friends are single and up until now this has not been an issue. Of couse I am not going to ditch them, but I sure could use the support of other "moms" right now.

Has anyone else been out of the house much? We went to the grocery store and Siena did great until the very end. I guess I am trying to gear her up for Spring and Summer as I plan to do a lot of walking with the stroller.

During the evening Siena wakes about every three hours to eat. Unfortunately she does not want to sleep in her infant crib and has decided to sleep with us. Anyone else have this? If the crib has worked for you, let me know how you have done it. I did hear that some babies have no problem with it and others reject it right away. I plan to attempt to convert her to her larger baby crib at about 4-6 months. Looks like I am going to have some sleepless nights. . .

That's all for now. As you can see I am curious what you are all experiencing. Anything you could share would be great!

Sher8

[Smita]

Hi sher,
Lovely to see your posts about siena..
One month old already! wow!
Last night was particularly tough for me- am feeling so drowsy, but cant sleep!!
Dhruvaa wanted to nurse all the time.. as in she'd cry a bit, i'd offer my breat, and she'd drop off to sleep at my breat and no amount of coaxing would make her suckle more, then when i put her in her bed, she was up in 5-10 mins, and same cycle and in the midst of this was nappy changing of course!

Susie,
Ryan sounds wonderful, glad you're enjoying him..

Kim,
hows Jenna doing these days.. I wonder whn dhruvaa will realise I'm her mommy- i wonder if she knows my voice?or is it early days yet? though, children are supposede to know teir mothers voices from the womb- I dont see any signs of recognition yet!
Must be lovely to have her smile at you.
Dhruvaa smiles a lot in her sleep and even when shes awake, but not at anyone in particular..

Jo,
How was the weeknd to Tasmania?Hows Tilly doing?

Leaving for Bahrain on the 22nd March, so there;s some light at the end of this tunnel!

have a nice day all!

smita

[k]

Hi everyone

Sher - Cant believe Siena is 1 month old already! Jenna is now 6 weeks old today. The time has flown by so quick! I am breastfeeding as well. So far it is going well. I decided before I gave birth that I would try to do at least 6 months. I would like to continue for even longer if possible - I will see how it goes! Last night was the first time we tried her with expressed milk. I was really nervous as to how she would take it, but so far so good. I had been put off last week when the health visitor warned against using a bottle, to maybe try a cup or syringe, because her baby refused to go back to breastfeeding afterwards! Jenna obviously doesnt care as long as she gets her milk!!! I hope it continues, it would be nice to let daddy take over a bit. (Although it might mean that I have to start doing more housework on an evening if hes got the baby!!).
Ive only just started going out on my own this week. Up until now, Ive always had DH or my parents with me. I decided it was time to start on my own or Ill just sit in the house all day. Its such an effort though isnt it, to try to get out of the house on time? Jenna will decide she then wants a feed and to fill her nappy. Then you've got to get them dressed up (which she hates!) and struggle with the pram or baby sling. Have felt better for doing it though! This Saturday I have to go and be fitted for a bridesmaid dress for my brother's wedding in July. The shop is approx 40 miles away. Jenna is coming with us. Not really looking forward to been fitted for a dress 6 weeks post giving birth and just a bit nervous how Jenna will be. My sister in law to be wants us to all make a day of it, lunch and shopping etc! Will see what happens! (Guess its not until you have kids that you realise a day out like this is not that easy anymore! Everytime shes seen Jenna shes been good as gold, so she doesnt know why Im not so keen.)
Jenna sleeps in a carrycot next to our bed. It used to be difficult to get her to sleep there. Me and DH used to take shifts, with one of us downstairs with Jenna, while the other one slept (This was when DH had 2 weeks paternity leave at the begining). Jenna would fall to sleep in her rocker downstairs, then we used to try to transfer her upstairs. When DH went back to work, I would go to bed in the evening and try to sleep inbetween her feeds, then when DH came to bed I would take over, trying to transfer her to her carrycot, which took a few attempts. She always has to be asleep when you do it, even now, but it has got easier. I am now cutting down on the sleep in the evenings, because she is getting better at sleeping for longer. Also, she stocks up on feeds on an evening, so its not worth it really! I have heard of babies that just refuse to sleep in a crib though. I hope things improve for you as she settles into a routine. I think I have also been very lucky.

Smita - Great to see you on this side! Sorry to hear the nights are tough for you - it will get better! I remember watching a lot of T.V early hours of the morning in the begining. (I think I did most of my posts then on this site!). Id be sat up watching Jenna drift off to sleep in her rocker downstairs, thinking shall I try to transfer her to her carrycot yet? It used to take several attempts, but has got better now.
I know what you mean about whether they recognise us yet. I did used to think I could be anyone, as long as I provided the milk! I know Ive read that they recognise their mother (and father) from hearing their voices when in the womb. She has just started smiling, which is wonderful to see, but my mum also got a huge smile the other day as well! DH says she was turning in my direction when I was talking from the kitchen to him the other day, so hope that was because she recognised my voice!
Has your DH left yet? Are you moving back soon with him? I bet you cant wait to all be a family together.

Hope everyone else is doing ok. Susie, Christine, Julie, Jo (and anyone else - sorry if ive forgotten!). Hope to catch up on your news soon.

Take care all
Love Kim

[Susie]

Hello all you mummys!
K - I used to worry about taking my DD out, so hardly took her anywhere, but now with Ryan I have no choice. I have to get my DD to school and whether he wants feeding or not he has to come too. I find that the fresh air knocks him out. I have been out with him loads, to town and supermarket etc and I find hes a little angel and he just sleeps thru all the trips. I must say I'm bottle feeding tho so he wont want feeding as much as Jenna. Just go out and make the trips longer each time to see what her limit is!
Smita - Glad to see you on this side! Sorry you're having such a sleepless time, but at least you have a date to go out to DH now, which must make it a lot better. My DH has just got a new job where he has to stay away from home 2 nights a week and I dont know how I'll cope with that so weell done you for coping so long.
Sher - Ryan had a moses basket at first but just screamed when we put him in it so we got a cot, he looks drowned in it but it has a mobile on it so he looks at that and falls asleep watching it! Already babies know how to play us If Ryan is crying in the lounge while i'm in the kitchen he stops crying as soon as he hears my footsteps. Try and get Sienna out of sleeping in your bed if thats what you want. My next door neighbour started doing this when her DD was a baby and now she cant stop even tho her DD is now 4!
Anyway TTFN
Susie

[k]

Hi Susie

Great to hear from you and thanks for the advice!(Its great to hear from a mum whos been through it all already!). I know it will get easier the more I take Jenna out, to be honest she is really good I think its just me! Im not mad keen on shopping trips in cities I dont really know anyway. I like to know where I am and also now, where I can go if she needs feeding/changing. Will see what happens tommorrow anyway!
Good to hear things are going ok with Ryan and hes enjoying the trips out!
How does your DD get on with him?
Take care
love kim

[Susie]

Hello again all!
K - My DD gets on great with Ryan and shes not at all jelous of Ryan, but it is hard spending time with her as during the day Ryan is alot more alert and awake now as he has started sleeping thru from 8 til 8 so he spends all day awake (with a couple of cat naps) We now have Sunday where one of us has Ryan and the other will play with Abby doing whatever she wants, she seems happy with that, but I must say quality time with me and DH seems to have taken a bit of a nosedive but its not long term so things will get better.
Near us all the boots stores have a baby room where you can feed or change your baby, so if your ever in need of a room just head to boots!
Sher - forgot to say we also put a music box on after we have put Ryan down as it comforts him in the first few moments of being seperated from us, and hes asleep by the time its finished!
Hope everyone else is OK
Susie

[Sher8]

Susie -
Thanks for the suggestions and I will definitely try them. I plan to start putting Siena in her larger crib this week for naps. I figure that I am up anyway so I might as well start trying. Sleeping in our bed in the evening makes is very convenient for breastfeeding so I may have more luck weaning her when she gets on formula. My plan is to breastfeed 3-4 months. So far that is working out quite well.

K -
Glad to hear you and Jenna are well and it sounds like if we ever have a second go at this we will probably be much more relaxed. I do have to say that going out does make the baby very sleepy. We took Siena to a birthday dinner at a restaurant last night. She cried a lot when she got home, but has been sleeping ever since - longer than usual. My guess is that it is a bit overwhelming to take it all in and may make the baby work harder, therefore very tired.

Smita -
Every week, or should I say day, is different so you will find that you will be able to catch up on sleep more on some days than others. Just take advantage of your baby's nap times. More experienced moms tell me that it does get easier.

Glad to hear everyone is well. Have a great week.

Sher8

[josiemack]

Hi everyone - it sounds like all of our babies are growing beautifully and doing all of the right things - feeding, nappies, and broken sleep!!

Tilly and I had a great time in Tassie - she flew really well, slept in the plane on the way over, and only woke up for the last 10 minutes on the way home - there was a lady with a 2 week old baby on the plane and it felt really strange not having the smallest baby - Tilly was almost 4 weeks at that stage and it made me realise how much she has grown. She is already starting to grow out of her smallest size clothes (0000 - not sure if this is how you measure new born clothes overseas) - in the first few weeks, it was more like an unfolding, rather than growing, she was all curled up into a little ball, not so surprising as she was a couple of weeks early - she will be 5 weeks old tomorrow and has already gained 1 kg, so all of the feeding must be doing something right.

The best two pieces of advice I have been given (and am following) are to adopt a 'feed-play-sleep' routine, and to swaddle the baby quite firmly when putting them to bed. Often our routine is more of a feed-play-feed-sleep one, but I am wary of feeding her off to sleep, as remember doing this with DS (who is now 12) and he was a shocking sleeper. At this stage we can usually put her in the cot when she is almost asleep and she will usually mumble for a bit and fall asleep - she is firmly swaddled in a big cloth - the bunny rugs are now too small and I am using the flat top sheet of a cot sheet set, which is a great size. She sleeps well during the day, not so well at night, but will go back to bed at night well after a feed - we live in a town house, with neighbours conjoined on one side, so I am really conscious of not leaving her to cry during the night - plus I hate to leave her crying anyway, I just want to do everything I can to make her happy. The only thing she doesn't really like is the pram, which is a pain - she is ok for a bit, but unless she falls asleep, her limit is about 15 minutes, and then she screams unless she is carried - hopefully as she becomes more interested in her surroundings and can sit up in the pram, she will be happier.

The big kids have just arrived home from school - DD is 10, DS 12 and stepson is 14 - they are all a great help with Tilly.

Am off to the photobucket to see if anyone has posted

Take care
Jo

[Smita]

hi all,
tmi question..
Do newborns poo a tiny bit each time( or almost each time) they pee too?
I'm worried theres something wrong with dhruvaa, as even when she pees,theres a little bit of poo on the nappy..

smita

[k]

Hi Smita

Jenna seems to present me with both a lot as well! From what Ive read (You know me and my books!) all babies can be different. Some poo a lot, others not as often. I do keep reading that plenty of wet and dirty nappies means they are been fed well, so it sounds like you are doing ok!
Take care
Love Kim

[Smita]

Thanks Kim,
You are a help as usual.. I need to get out and buy a baby book now..

Another worry is, she gets all red when she is straining to poo- and she wails as well, is that normal- I asked the doctor who said that as long as the poo was runny and not solid it was fine..
But I worry that she has too much gas or something- maybe I should give her some colic medicine? though she never cries continuously- only when she poos and passes gas..
ugh! tmi

smita

[Susie]

Hi Smita, dont worry about the pooing. Ryan strains and cries when he poos too its perfectly normal. You should only worry if the poo is solid lumps, but breast fed babies dont get constipated apparently.
Hope your little ones sleeping better now.
Susie

[Sher8]

Smita,

Everything you say sounds quite normal. If the baby is eliminating well then you are doing a great job feeding her. Siena goes every time I feed her. The turning red and straining is quite normal and seems to mellow out at time goes on.

Hope all is well,
Sher8

[josiemack]

Smita

Tilly was the same in the beginning, every time we changed her, there would be a small poo - sometime 10-12 times a day - this has changed in the last week or so and we are instead getting 2-3 explosively noisy and runny ones instead - she cries just before she does one, and is then quite happy - but also lots of gas - our little ladies are not quite so ladylike!!

Our maternal nurse said breastfed babies don't burp a lot, but pass a lot of wind.

Jo