Weekly chat thread - March 15th - March 21st

[busymama77]

Good Morning/Afternoon!!

Thought I'd get this started off for Katie.

How's everyone doing??

We're good. I think Will had his days and nights mixed up right now. Great sleeper during the day and then once the sun goes down, he's wide awake and wants to eat, eat, eat all of the time!! Last night/this morning, he didn't go to sleep until roughly 2am! This is a whole new ballgame for us as DS#1 was easy to put down and went to sleep right away - no fuss unless he was fighting the sleep. Anyone else struggling with this? I'm guessing it's just a NB phase and he'll eventually get on a schedule, but we're pooped and need hope.

I'm feeling good - probably got another 10lbs or so to go before I'm back to my pre-preg weight and size although I'm able to wear my pre-preg shirts, just not my jeans just yet.... But shaping up a bit quicker than the first time!!

[aramat]

Juju's long stretch happens between 2am and 7-8am, but it's kind-of funny, because during my insomnia at the end of my pregnancy, I could ONLY fall asleep after 2:00am, no matter what I tried.
My first two babies were night sleepers from the start, especially my middle daughter, with whom I worked full-time while pregnant and so would crash at 8pm most nights. I don't know if Juju is different because she started off in a hospital after birth, or if it's actually related to how I slept during each pregnancy.

My toddler has a nasty cold, and she actually has an ear infection! In the summer! This will be my first time ever having to treat one of my children for an ear infection...and I'm almost afraid to go near my little sickie b/c I'm desperate for Juju not to get sick. Thank goodness Juju enjoys breastfeeding, because I never realized how affectionate my germy little toddler is!

[NicoleS]

Caleb fights going to bed at night. Once he's down, he'll sleep 6-8 hours, but getting him down is a challenge.

We moved him into 3-6 month clothing today - he could no longer stretch his legs out straight in the 0-3 month sleepers!

[Nicole730]

We're doing good over here. Elsa is 10 days old now! DH went back to work today, it was soooo nice to have him around last week. Elsa goes to bed when I do, b/w 9 and 10 and then she's up to nurse around midnight, 3am, and 6am. Not too bad at all. She's in bed with us and I just have to sit up for diaper changes - nursing laying down really helps us both fall right back asleep. She's still sleeping quite a bit during the day too. She will nap for longer than 3 hours during the day, but usually I wake her up just to make sure she will still sleep at night. Hopefully soon she'll start having the longer stretches at night. We only have 3 diaper covers that are working well, so I might go out and see if I can find some used ones in newborn size. Our size smalls won't tighten enough around her legs...not that I mind the outfit changes, she's gotta wear all her cute newborn clothes!

[loulie]

So good to hear everyone's doing well. Going well here too. Saffie is always happy - so long as i'm holding her or she's right next to me. But the minute I try to put her down she starts crying. And of course I love cuddling her, but I do have other things I need to do, especially as DF is very rarely around to help.

She's feeding about every 2 hours during the day, and every 3 hours at night, which I can cope with fine if she's in bed with me. But I'd honestly prefer her to be sleeping in her crib, I don't sleep properly with her next to me. But she just makes so much noise when I put her down I usually give up and bring her into bed with me after an hour of trying to soothe her to sleep. I've even given her a dummy, but she's not really taken with it.

But for all that whinging she really is a brilliant baby. We had a lovely weekend, as it was Mother's Day, I was given some beautiful presents, and DD1 even wrote out the card all by herself, from her and Saffron. And we had a gorgeous day out to a village in the countryside, and it felt like spring had finally sprung.

I'm still losing weight, despite not having the healthiest of diets (i'm craving sugar due to the tiredness!). So 4 weeks PP and now 129lbs (was 152 at the end of pregnancy) and need to get to 112lbs*. Decided to try to cut out the chocolate, cakes and scones from today!

(*I guess they all sound like odd numbers to you but my English brain thinks in Stones and I have to convert! - so 112lbs is my normal weight of 8 stones)

[biennourri]

Happy mothers day, Loulie. Glad you had a nice celebration. I told my husband not to get anything, but I felt I needed a last chance to have 2 mothers days this year.

Lucy is waking up for more hours in the day. She is so calm. She's just hanging out on the sofa next to me, wiggling and smiling some of her "inner" smiles as Dr. Sears puts it.

I went over to a friend's today and know that she was struggling the past 5 months with a baby that cries a lot. I can tell she's been really stressed. It is just an awful thing to deal with. I don't think I could survive colic again. This baby actually just cries if she wants/needs something. Amazing. I will never know why DD1 cried and cried. I kept thinking there was something I was doing wrong and if only I did the right thing she'd stop. It's a curse. It's no doubt why I ended up with PPD.

I have been enjoying being able to nurse Lucy in bed. I'm getting much more sleep than the first time around. So, why am I still so tired? Still on antiboitics for a sinus infection and still have plugged up ears. My husband mutters a lot and I'm using it as an excuse to just ignore him rather than say "what?" all the time.

[linchi]

Put this on the other thread this morning:

Does anyone else feel weird clicking on the I'm Pregnant link to get to our DDC? I tried my best to embrace pregnancy while I was actually pregnant, but now I am right back to where I started. The thought of being pregnant again scares me and I have a hard time reading birth stories because they remind me of my experience. I hate the thought of having a contraction ever again! Although maybe it's just me...

I am happy to report that things are going great with baby Iago! DH and I are in love. He is amazing, really. So far, since we brought him home, he has been sleeping through the night! Who knows if it will last, but for now I am thrilled! He is really filling out too, which is great. The midwives warned me at the hospital to feed as much as possible. Here in France you have to do obligatory weekly weigh-ins and that sometimes they can bring a lot of stress if a baby doesn't gain accordingly. I am happy to report that Iago was way over his birth weight at 12 days! He is already starting to outgrow his first outfits.

Ok, I will try and finish writing his birth story and post it asap.

Here is a pic from the hospital: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...a&id=867990276

[JustSimplicity]

We're doing pretty well here. Ze has a cold and is so congested. He's not very fussy about it, just sleeping most of the day. I'm clearing out his nose as much as possible. Today I've been waking him at least every 2 hours because I think he's a little dehydrated. He isn't as interested in eating with a stuffed up nose and he's had less wet diapers. Luckily we go to the ped on Wednesday so I can talk to him about it if Ze gets worse.

We had been co-sleeping until last week. Ze started "shouting" in his sleep. I don't know how to describe it. It's not really crying or grunting but it sounds like he's ramping up to wake up crying. And he was doing it every 5 minutes. So of course I was waking up expecting him to want to nurse and then when I would check on him he was sound asleep. We decided to move him to his bed since I wasn't getting any sleep. Saturday night went really well after the first 1.5 hours trying to get him to sleep but then last night he was so congested after our feeding at 3:30 that he was still up at 5:00 and I decided to sleep with him in the crook of my arm. He slept relatively peacefully until 7:30 when he started up the shouting again.

I think I'm also a bit paranoid about sleeping because every time I lay down at night I'm worried that he's going to suffocate himself or something so I'm constantly listening. If he hasn't made a noise for awhile I start worrying and then when he does make a noise it jerks me awake. Suffice it to say, I'm not getting the best sleep.

I'm loving the little guy so much. He is so gorgeous and so sweet. He's started making more eye contact and actually looking at specific things. He also hints at smiling sometimes. I'm still trying to figure out what to do all day with a newborn and I get a bit stir crazy sometimes. I'm worried that I'm throwing him off any kind of schedule and maybe exposing him to more germs because I've been trying to get out of the house every day. It's still a bit too cold for walks so we've been going to friends' houses and running errands. I'm supposed to go on Thursday to volunteer for an hour at my old job: an afterschool program, but now with his cold I'm not sure that being around 80 kids would be the best thing, even if I don't let them touch him.

[JustSimplicity]

Originally Posted by linchi

The thought of being pregnant again scares me and I have a hard time reading birth stories because they remind me of my experience. I hate the thought of having a contraction ever again! Although maybe it's just me...

I feel the same way, even though I want more kids. I'm sure I'll get to the point where I forget about it. Even though my birth experience was pretty typical and I was able to get through it without drugs I feel like have ptsd-type flashbacks of the "worst" parts. I guess I'm not too great at embracing natural childbirth "Ina May style." Maybe next time will be better but I can't even think about it right now...just want to enjoy the little one I have.

[flavorfull1]

So...I went and had the ultrasound of my lump today. Now I am having to go for a breast biopsy because they want to be careful and they aren't sure what is going on. I am freaking out because I don't know what this will do for breastfeeding? I have to not feed on that breast for 48 hours afterward and the doc just told me to pump and store up some milk for during that time. I am upset because I don't want anything to possibly hurt my milk supply and I am slightly dreading giving him a bottle even though that was the plan all along. I guess I am really just really hoping it won't mess up the good thing we have going. Experience w this anyone?
Yesterday I gave Malachi some mylicon because he seemed so gassy and fussy. He has been for the past twoish days and I can't tell if it was a weather pattern thing or what but he seemed like he was in pain last night. So he ended up pooping a ton, not many farts, and then he was hyper baby until 1am. I am talking wiggling and popping off at the breast, kicking vigorously and waving his arms vigorously. Seriously, what happened to my baby? He is usually very chill but he didn't seem like he was in pain, just like sleep would be a good idea but like he had had a cup of espresso! He went to sleep around 1am and then had weird feedings during the night of wiggling alot and being slow to settle. Today, pretty much back to normal. Not sure I will try that again any time soon!

[NicoleS]

http://img4.glowfoto.com/images/2010...312112121T.jpg

[Ninetales]

I'm having a bit of trouble figuring out the sleep thing. Thing is, Elsa sleeps really well...so long as she's in my lap. She only likes nursing in the cradle hold and then drifts off across my lap. She'll sleep a good long time like that, but if I try to move her, she'll jerk up out of even a deep sleep. It's hard for me to try to put her down anywhere because then she'll wake up and we'll have to start all over and it's nice to have both arms and breasts free, even if I can't get up.

She doesn't like the sling either. We've tried it a few times but she just gets mad.

I weighed myself today at the birth center and I've lost 35 lbs! That's over half of what I gained. I hadn't expected that at all, but I guess it makes sense seeing as how baby and placenta alone had to be over 20 lbs. So I'm actually feeling pretty good about that.

Nursing is still going pretty well. My right side still is uncomfortable, but not unbearably so. At this point I'm just enjoying these days together and looking forward to when we can go out and about more and interact a bit more than eating, changing, sleeping.

[Keeta]

This just in: Mastitis totally sucks! Yesterday through the day my right breast was REALLY sore, just to the touch (nursing didn't affect the pain either way). Last night I was in tears, I just felt so rotten all over. Tried some warm compresses, which didn't seem to really hurt or help, but at least I was *doing* something. Started running a fever last night and got red spots/streaking near the sore spots. Went in to urgent care this morning and got on antibiotics. It's amazing that my boob can make me feel like I have the flu! Hot/cold flashes, fatigue, fever. Ugh. Never had this with DS1. I'm just glad I didn't have to have anything lanced! The PA said if there was a pus-filled lump, I would have had to have it lanced, ewwww!

August is fine though. Nursing doesn't really bother me either way, just rolling over makes my boob hurt though (shifting the weight of it). He seems to have some more alert periods these days, which is fun. Luckily, I came down with this yucky mastitis while visiting my parents, so my mom is able to help care for DS1 and even give me short breaks with August. Such a relief, I don't know what I would do if I was trying to do this all alone.

[aramat]

Originally Posted by Keeta

This just in: Mastitis totally sucks! Yesterday through the day my right breast was REALLY sore, just to the touch (nursing didn't affect the pain either way). Last night I was in tears, I just felt so rotten all over. Tried some warm compresses, which didn't seem to really hurt or help, but at least I was *doing* something. Started running a fever last night and got red spots/streaking near the sore spots. Went in to urgent care this morning and got on antibiotics. It's amazing that my boob can make me feel like I have the flu! Hot/cold flashes, fatigue, fever. Ugh. Never had this with DS1. I'm just glad I didn't have to have anything lanced! The PA said if there was a pus-filled lump, I would have had to have it lanced, ewwww!

August is fine though. Nursing doesn't really bother me either way, just rolling over makes my boob hurt though (shifting the weight of it). He seems to have some more alert periods these days, which is fun. Luckily, I came down with this yucky mastitis while visiting my parents, so my mom is able to help care for DS1 and even give me short breaks with August. Such a relief, I don't know what I would do if I was trying to do this all alone.

Raw garlic!! Former mastitis queen over here! Next time, eat raw garlic!

[NicoleS]

I'm officially a minivan mom!

[TexasMum]

Ouch. Keeta do you use wool nursing pads?

[loulie]

does anyone else love the smell of their baby's poop??

[NicoleS]

Originally Posted by loulie

does anyone else love the smell of their baby's poop??

Ummm no. It's kind of sour-smelling.

[AustinKate]

We're doing pretty well...now that I've figured out how to use the Moby, Alex loves being in it and snoozes a lot when he's tucked up inside of it.
We're having gorgeous spring weather, so I'm trying to get outside with him as much as possible, going for walks, etc.
Here are some links to pictures, I hope they work!

http://twurl.cc/2c2a
http://twurl.cc/2c2c
http://twurl.cc/2c2d

[hapersmion]

We're doing great here, Ben is three weeks old!

I'm sleeping soo much better this time around *knock on wood*. With my first, I was like the PP, waking up every time the baby made a noise, and worrying if he didn't! I guess I'm just more relaxed this time around.

My son is doing really well with the new baby. I guess I have to start saying "older son" now... He gives him kisses and talks to him, it's very cute. He's taken some big steps backwards with his potty skills (sigh), but I guess that's to be expected. We still haven't had much chance to find our own routine, with my mom being here so much (very helpful, of course, she does chores), but all the visitors left this morning, and we're going to be on our own for several weeks, so that should be interesting.

Is anyone trying Elimination Communication? I don't have the free hands or the extra energy to do it regularly, but we got a tiny potty last weekend, and when I hold the baby over it, he'll usually do something! (I guess the odds are good, since he's constantly going anyway, it would be hard to pick a two-minute time when he's actually dry.)