[clrw]

Quite possibly Katevin. He is only 2 weeks though but I guess that doesn't matter quite so much.

I took to wrapping him up really tight with his arms away in the evening which led to him settling and sleeping quicker. Will have to wait to see what kind of night DP had with him (she is still in the bed in the nursery). I didn't hear anything till 5 am when he screamed the house down cos he was having a very poohy nappy changed. Hopefully that means a better night.

[Bec_M]

Katevin - I did think that could be what is happening. DD cried all the time for the first 12-14 weeks so didn't really notice this! DH got him to sleep in the car so we brought the capsule in and he slept til almost 2am! Lucky because he was up every 2hrs after that for a feed lol. At least I managed a nice block of sleep first
How do you manage a birthday on xmas? That would be hard! Glad your DD had a good day though!

Clrw - hope your DP had a better night too!

[katevin]

I’m posting on the computer today so will hopefully be able to catch up properly

Leita How’s DS going overnight now? Still waking frequently? He’s such a cutie, thanks for posting the pic! Looks like he’s pretty content in the bath. Maya has only really started enjoying the bath over the last week- before that she’d scream the house down so bathtime was a very quick affair!

Bec I could only see one of the pics you posted a link to of your 2 cherubs, very cute! Were you happy with the end result? How’s everything going with your supply etc? Happy to have DH home to help out now? I don’t know how you managed without him, I’d be so lost without DH!
We got a few small things for Maya for xmas- a play mat, a money box and a little teething toy bunny thing. DD1 happily opened the presents on her behalf!

Deejie How’s the breastfeeding going with Daniel? I know what you mean about forgetting about how hard (and LONG!) it is with a newborn, I breastfed DD1 til she was 14 months and it was SO easy and quick then. Definitely takes a little getting used to again, especially the sitting still on the couch for 40 or so minutes at a time!

LWO Lucky you only waking once or twice a night to feed! I’m jealous! DD1 was like that, I think from memory she would have one really long block of sleep up to 8 or so hours right from birth! We were very spoilt with her. However she was very unsettled all day.
Ouch re the chomping on your nipples! I remember that with DD1 but not until she was much older, usually when teething. Not fun.

Madnesscraves Hello! Your little girl was born the same day as mine Although I’m sure if they were side by side, my Maya would look like a monster in comparison to your petite little Rosemary How’s the breastfeeding going? 4 hourly feeds is great! And nice that DH does a feed to give you a good break too.

Feather Abby still settling well for you? Makes such a difference doesn’t it! And Maya gets the hiccups every now and then too, I think she finds them a bit annoying aswell.

Aly

This week Zach has been very unsettled so really haven't been getting much sleep, don't think this is helping the emotions. Kate - maybe it is something about the 3 week mark cause our bubs are the same age!

Oh I am SO hearing you on the emotions. I’ve shed plenty of tears since Maya was born, believe me! I’m just not cut out for this newborn stuff. And definitely think the 2-3 week mark is tough work. Glad we’re through it… til the next challenging week! (Think I read that the next growth spurt is usually around 6 weeks). Not looking forward to that.

Kindle did you end up braving the boxing day sales? Get any bargains? DH and I went shopping yesterday (the 27th) and it was crazy!

Bec and CLRW I found this link pretty interesting when I was googling the 2-3 week growth spurt last week:
http://kellymom.com/bf/normal/growth-spurt.html
Check it out! Hope things are settling down for you both

AFM As I said, Maya has been a lot more settled this week. Not a great sleeper throughout the day- loves to be held constantly!- but overnight she is okay. Generally she goes down for the night around 9pm, and usually wakes for a feed around midnight-1am, then 4-5am and then after that we’re lucky if we get a good sleep out of her. So she seems to sleep well when it’s really dark but not so much if it’s light. Weird.

I’ve personally been struggling a bit and have had to up my antidepressant dosage unfortunately I had PND with DD1 and was hoping to avoid the same this time around but am finding that my anxiety has been getting the better of me occasionally. I just don’t cope well with sleep deprivation and all of the uncertainty that comes with having a newborn- it does my head in. Am feeling better this week than last, and am hoping that I continue to improve. The scary/horrible thing about PND is that you can be fooled into thinking that you’re on the mend but can then quickly fall back down again. It’s kind of a 2 steps forward, 1 step back kind of thing. Anyway, fingers crossed.

Feed time again… off to the couch I go

[leita]

Hiya ladies!!

We have real smiles!! Awwww, we got a couple of real smiles on Christmas morning, really made our day.

Sorry I've been MIA we've had the inlaws here all week, and by the time they go home i'm ready to crawl into bed

Kate- don't worry about upping your dosage- whatever gets you through. I have never suffered depression, but remember the anxiety being horrible first time around, I just couldn't sleep for ages even with the sleep deprivation. The newborn stage does my head in too, though I have to say it's been easier this time. DH goes back to work tomorrow, so we'll see how I go then. Is your litte cherub stacking on the weight after her 3 week growth spurt?

clrw- you are so not allowed to say 'hopefully a better night' !! DH gets kicked if he says "That was a better night's sleep" cos it just means he's slept through it all at, and not even realised I've been up 4 times

Bec_M yep, I fell asleep in bed with Lucas yesterday afternoon. I try not to cosleep as a rule, but it was just so nice :-) 2 hourly feeds are just a killer arent they?

LWO- Oooow, stuck nipples are the worst, though have to say I haven't torn skin yet- makes my eyes water just thinking about it. Glad you had a good Christmas.

AFU- Lucas turned 5 weeks yesterday so I popped him on the scales (just my bathroom scales, with bubs then without) and he's 5.8 kilos with clothes on. Yikes. He's put on 400grams this week alone So he's now put on about 1.4 kilos, but he's grown over 10 cms in length as well. I had to check the growth charts, but he's actually right on track given he started on the 90th percentile.

We're beginning to get a few 2.5 and 3 hour sleep stretches at night, though he still tends to wake hourly from 4am. Think I'm going to have another pretty average sleeper on my hands. Wasn't a problem really with DD, but this time around there really is no sleeping while the baby sleeps, unless DH takes DD out of the house for me (which he does do bless him).

DH's first day back at work tomorrow, and it's a 16 hour shift, so that will be a real test for Mummy. Plus it's supposed to be 38 or something crazy here tomorrow!! Inlaws flying back home tomorrow too, so there go all my helping hands! Best think of some indoor things to do! Maybe we'll go and visit nanna for a few hours. :-)

[adagio]

Hi everyone Just popped in to say hello and to finally join the group. Hi to all from the Dec 1-15 
DIG! DS is now 3 weeks old and I haven't had much time for the Internet! 
DS was born by emergency caesarean after many hours of labour. He was posterior and all contractions were in my back which was very painful! OB decided to start the hormone drip to speed up labour but baby became distressed with each contraction unfortunately. I was rushed in for a caesarean which I was dreading as I was absolutely terrified of the surgery but all was well with both of us in the end I ended up reacting to the drugs used in theatre so didn't see DS for about an hour after he was born DH did a great job looking after him when I was confined to the  bed after epidural and had a catheter in. He's a wonderful dad.
Breast feeding was challenging at first but all seems to be going well now. 
DS is really unsettled from early evening to about midnight which is tiring but I hear this is normal! He seems to have a lot of wind at the moment. He wants to spend all evening on the breast and nothing seems to calm him. Is anyone else experiencing this?? He has his 6 week check with paed in january so will speak to him about it then, if we can't last that long we may speak to our GP! 
Hope everyone had a good Christmas with their new babies  what are your plans for new years eve? We at try to have dinner out but I'm a bit worried about bub's behavior, it may be too adventurous?!? We will probably end up with takeaway lol

[Bec_M]

Kate - We were mostly happy with the pics - there were a few that look like they were rushed in terms of editing but my SIL may be able to fix them. We got over 80 images on a disc so really good value for the price we paid My supply has increased but is still not enough for the little man. Not surprising it isn't where it should be when I try and feed and have a screaming toddler to deal with Stressful much!! DH is off after Friday - 2 more days! Woo hoo! I am so looking forward to having him home. Was nice on xmas and Boxing Day. We tagged team with the kids and it was a huge help for me.
Don't feel bad about increasing your dose. You need to do what you have to, to cope with everything. I don't cope too well with sleep deprivation either/newborn uncertainty either! Especially dealing with a cranky toddler as well!! I hope things keep going well for you. At least you are aware of it so will be able to deal with it asap if need be. My sister has PND this time. Not nice at all.

Leita - aww soo cute! Those first smiles are awesome Best xmas pressie ever!
Lol, my DH sleeps through it as well. And then wonders why I am so cranky he he. Good luck tomorrow! It's meant to be 39 here tomorrow Not fun. What a little champion growing that much! I'll have to weigh DS next week and see how much he is now.

Hi Adagio! Are you recovering ok from the c-sect? Sounds like fairly normal behaviour for a newborn. DD was very much like that. Exhausting isn't it?! NYE - we are thinking maybe a picnic somewhere. Then DD can run around and get really tired lol. But not anything very exciting planned here...

Well, better get Declan fed and then it will be bath time!
x

This post has been edited by Bec_M: 28/12/2011, 07:14 PM

[katevin]

Back on the couch, feeding again

Leita I think we have real smiles too!?! I didn't think it was possible this young but she has 'smiled' many times and usually it's in response to DH or I talking to her and smiling at her. Today she even did it to DD1 (adorable!) and my Mum. Everything I've read says it doesn't happen til 6-8wks...? Who knows!
Not sure how much weight the little one has gained, haven't had her weighed since last week. She had a good gain then, though. She does look bigger already though which is a little scary!
Good luck tomorrow without DH! Hope the little ones behave themselves for you
Oh and thanks for the support re increasing my dosage. Obviously it's not ideal but I'll do whatever it takes to feel better. PND is the pits!

Bec as I said to Leita, thanks for the support How's your sister doing? How old is her little one? Amazing how many people it effects. It's such an unfair illness to have
Bet you're looking forward to Friday when DH will be home to help! Like I said, don't know how you do it without him! Wonder woman!

Adagio hi! No plans at all for new years eve here, meant to be stinking hot so might go to the pool during the day but would be happy with an early night and lots of sleep at night! Ha! Yeah right!
Have you considered using Infacol wind drops? We use it for Maya before each feed and have found it really helps her to get her wind up. Pharmacist said its fine to use from birth even though it says from 1 month on the box. Might be worth a try if you think wind is a problem.

[adagio]

Kate - will definitely try the Infacol, I actually looked at it today but as it said 1 month plus I decided against buying it, should have asked the pharmacist! 

Good luck with the dosage increase, I am struggling a bit emotionally some days and had terrible baby blues for about 10 days (part of the reason I wasn't posting I think... Was feeling overwhelmed) I was already thinking about when I could return to work! I think part Of it was also this huge build up to DS arriving and then it all being "over"?! I didn't want to leave the hospital I'm starting to feel much better now thankfully. DH has been home for two weeks which I think helped a lot, I must admit I'm really not looking forward to him going back to work, will miss him heaps  

Leita & kate - I thought we had a few smiles late last week but didn't think babies smiled till 6+ weeks. Maybe they were real smiles then?! 

Bec - I am recovering well, the wound is super itchy at the moment though must be healing.... So tempting to scratch like mad lol! Was very sore for the week after and hadn't prepared myself for a caeserean so the whole thing was a bit overwhelming. On the mend now though just a bit tender at times  

[feather12]

Katevin - I'm not sure if she is settled more or if I am just able to handle it better! She is pretty much the same as your LO woth the bad sleeps through the day unless she is held - which was great over christmas because she was held by relatives nearly all day but I think that set a bad expectation for her and now we have to readjust again. She wakes about five ish as well and wants to feed every two hours till about eleven. My best friend had PND as well with her second which made it worse because she compared it to her first which was so joyful and the contrast really affected her. She ended up having to be on them for a long time as well due to other factors in life. It was a really hard time. I had the baby blues quite bad and that was enough for me!

Adagio - Abby is exactly the same but her periods of gassyness and crying seem to happen whenever never at set times like that. One day it will be in the morning for six hours and then the next day all day and the day after that not at all and then in the evening. Its so tiring isnt it? I thought the gassiness was my diet so have been cutting things ot left right and centre and nothing really seems to work. Theres not much scientific evidence to support that diet will affect the babies gass anyway so I am giving up next week if there is still no change and eating whatever. Will also try the infacol but interested to see how you go first. I had really bad baby blues too. I just couldnt understand it either and beat myself up for feeling bad. I still get a little bit overwhelmed some days but thats balanced out now by the wonderful feeling that I have a daughter and she's incredible!

AFM - I cannot get a burb out of this little miss sometimes! She just holds onto them like crazy. I know they are in there too because she quirms around and won't settle for a while after a feed and her little bottom lip is all blueish like. We almost get there. I see the eyes roll and the mouth open in the wind grin and then she gets really frustrated and starts crying and we get no burb. I think this contributes to her gassiness as well. Also she has the occassionl bit of green in her poos. Any one else getting this? Apparently it is normal but I did read somehwere it could be a sign of something else not good. Need to stop researching stuff online though it really isn't helping finding all this conflicting information.

Hi to everyone else and I hope you all had a great chrissy.

[Riversong]

I'll have to find some time to read back and catch up, but I'm here now!

Most of you seem to be from the DIG but just in case - I'm Wendy, my 5th bub Hannah was born 5 weeks early on the 21st November. I have 3 girls and 2 boys now, but my next youngest is 11 so it's like starting all over again! My other kids are 19,16,15 and 11.

I had a great first few weeks (after Hannah came home from Special care) but since Christmas eve I've had hardly any sleep, I can't work out what's making her so unsettled. She can be sound asleep and then as soon as I put her in her crib she wakes up, she seems to hate the crib! She will sleep in her pram, the bouncer, or in the basinette of an Emmaljunga pram, but the second I put her in that crib she starts crying, of course the crib is the only safe place I have for her to sleep at night. I'm almost considering looking for a basinette like the white ones Target sells, or setting up the big cot and see if that helps. She did sleep last night though and I actually got more then an hours sleep at a time.

Will read the thread hopefully today and post again later...