PS Mommy Thread-Newborn to 12 months!

[Pandora II]

Date: 6/18/2009 11:47:49 AM
Author: MustangGal
Pandora, your health care and maternity leave sounds so much better across the pond! I only had 8 weeks of leave, since I hadn''t been at my current job for a year before having the baby. If I had been there a year, then I would have received 12 weeks. And it''s not paid here, you have to use whatever time off you have saved up, and short-term disability insurance (which only pays 6-8 weeks). As for midwives visiting, that would have been very helpful! All I had was the pedi visit us in the hospital, then we took the baby to his office 2 days after going home, then again at 2 weeks, and after that just every 2 months. I was actually a bit amazed that they just kick you out of the hospital with these little screaming bundles of joy with not much direction on what to do with them!

I''ve been so suprised as normally you guys have things more sorted than we do. I''m sure it can''t be good for the mother, the baby or the employer. Do you all have great daycare as a result? Here it''s a complete nightmare and costs the earth...

you pretty much end up working just to pay someone else to look after your child for you.

Here you get the first 6 weeks paid at 90% of your salary, then up to 39 weeks at £123 a week then you can take another 12 weeks which you don''t get paid for. Your job is protected and you continue to get all your work benefits - so normally 5 weeks holiday plus statutory days that you can take after maternity leave, plus your employer''s contributions to your pension etc

The government pays the money to the company so they''re not out of pocket. Lots of companies have enhanced benefits - like mine does 12 weeks on full pay, 12 weeks on half pay, 12 weeks on £123 a week and the final 12 unpaid.

As of next year you will be paid for the full 52 weeks - there are a lot of campaigns for better and longer maternity leave with higher pay and the option for your husband to take 6 months of it instead of you (at the moment they get 2 weeks paternity leave - one week on full pay and the second on no pay).

After the birth the midwives come everyday for 10 days, then once a week until they are happy that you are coping. If you need help breastfeeding then the Lactation Consultant will come out to see you - again as long as needed. Then the Health Visitor takes over from the midwives until the baby is 5 years old.

In lots of ways it''s wonderful, and they are all really nice and helpful - but you spend a huge amount of time waiting at home for one of them to turn up, and I have a whole load of extra mental health people as well... lots of tea and biscuits needed!

Basically none of us are trusted with our own kids

- even if you are a paediatrician you still have all the visits!

It''s one of the few areas where our health care system really works - along with emergency care. Anything else is a bit hit and miss and things like MRI scans and non-urgent operations and appointments can take months or even years to get. For my back I nearly always had a 6-8 month wait for an MRI and then another 3 months minimum to see the consultant to get the results...

Other European countries have even better maternity leave than ours - Sweden you get 16 months at 80% of your salary and you can split this between you and your partner. Because the men have equal stakes in the maternity/paternity leave you don''t get the situation where employers discriminate against women.

 

[mela lu]

Date: 6/18/2009 7:02:57 AM
Author: Blenheim
Hopefully Mela means 5-6 times, for her sake!

YES!! 5-6 times! i may be dedicated but I'm no saint!!

DD - great news about the money! I feel your pain about the housing market (espesh out west - ouch!). when we bought 3.5 yrs ago, it was only because my G-parents both died and left me some $$. Otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to. Happy House Hunting!

Pandora - YEY! You sound like you're doing GREAT! Congrats on getting Daisy on les boobs! Hopefully you have many more 'quiet' nights like that to come. You've endured enough!

We have midwives here in Canada who come to your house in the first 10 days, and they are our care-givers until 6 weeks old. This is paid for by our Gov't, but not all women here opt for a midwife. Most go with a traditional OBGY, and there is a major shortage of Midwives here as it is...
The US is different though.
ETA: Just read your post. Gotta love Sweden! Wow. If only they didn't spend half the year in darkness, I could be persuaded to move there. lol.

Courtney - that is a great book. I've read it and we're going to be following it once Romy hits 6 weeks. My BFF started BabyBootCamp at 12 weeks, with unbelievably bad habits, and she had MAJOR success. Her LO now sleeps 12 hours in her crib and is a happy girl. Good luck - it's never too late to start

CDT -those pics are hilarious!!!!! OMG. Hang in there. This phase wont last forever (hard to believe) and just trust that you will look back on these days and think, "Wow, we survived?! Hard to believe". I agree though, these are HARD days

, I can only imagine what you're going through with the colic.

lili - haha. funny about Romeo's posing. He just may be a playboy after all!

Does anyone else feel like they are HOOVERING their meals, in fear that the baby will wake up and you'll NEVER get to eat again?! I totally do.

 

[Pandora II]

Date: 6/18/2009 12:58:35 PM
Author: mela lu

Does anyone else feel like they are HOOVERING their meals, in fear that the baby will wake up and you''ll NEVER get to eat again?! I totally do.

LOL, yes! That and living on brunch and lupper...

 

[Mrs]

Hi mamas!

Mgal, Thanks for asking about how my transition back to work is going. So far, so good! S seems very happy in daycare and I''m glad to be back at work even though I do miss her and I''m definitely very rusty after having had 3 months off. I hope training is going well for you! And I hope Kyle''s tummy gets better - sorry to hear the rice tied him up!

Pandora, that''s funny that the midwives tried to swaddle D and had the same struggle as you! S didn''t like being swaddled very much after a few weeks as well though it does get her to sleep longer if I swaddle her after she''s already fallen asleep. It sounds like you''ve got her sleeping fine now but in the future if ever you find she isn''t sleeping well (for longer periods of time), you might try swaddling her after she''s drifted off. re: screaming while they''re asleep, S does that too sometimes though not as much now as she did when she was smaller. I think it''s normal - don''t feel guilty! Congrats on feeling better about BFing now! I was so relieved when it stopped hurting too! Yay for 8 hours of sleep! You''re so lucky to have such good support and health care in your country! Enjoy it!

Blen, you are sooo right about how often we feel like bad moms... THANK YOU for suggesting that I could look at her seemingly dispasionate response to my picking her up the other day as a sign that she likes day care and I''ve done a GOOD job in finding wonderful child care!

nyc, congrats on reaching 2 months in one piece! I know they have been tough months but you''re doing great! re" water sounds. I have an alarm clock/radio that has water sounds as part of it''s sleep function which I use for S sometimes and her mobile and swing both have water sounds as well so you should be able to find something relatively easily if that''s helpful. I think you could probably download water sounds on line as well.

cdt, Lex is sooo cute! I''m glad to hear you''re doing okay even though it IS really hard caring for such a young one when he''s colicy. I''m sorry last night was so rough - just keep doing whatever you need to to get through the day (and night). S only liked to sleep in her car seat stroller for a while too - it''s hard but will get better! I hope his gas issues go away with the new formula! Has he pooped yet?

DD, congrats on the $ from grandma!! That''s so exciting!

mela, congrats on already sleep training! That''s great! I know I owe you (and everyone IRL) pics! Will try to get some soon!

Courtney, try not to think about going back to work yet. you''ll figure it out when you do go back but for now, just enjoy being with her!

So S gave me lots of beautiful smiles when I picked her up on Tuesday which made me feel great! And she was equally happy when I got her yesterday AND she wasn''t screaming when I dropped her off yesterday or today! woohoo! She also slept really well at daycare yesterday! Still not in a crib - usually on a boppy or in the swing, but that doesn''t matter so long as she is getting good rest. So that''s all to say that I''m feeling really good about this daycare! I asked about how calm she seems there and they said she just seems to really like all the activity around her. They prop her up on a boppy and she very happily watches everything that''s going on around her. They said it looks like she''s watching a tennis match all day. I''m finding that the report I get at the end of the day from the day care about how much the ate/slept, and when, and what her diaper changes were, etc are really helpful! Yesterday she had only had 3 diaper changes and they were all wet so I knew a big poop was on the way and sure enough she exploded after I BFed her in the afternoon! She''s been quite the pooper - requiring wardrobe changes! When I picked her up on Tuesday, she was in a different outfit than the one I dropped her off in and yesterday she got really messy too. I think I need to get bigger diapers.... amazing how fast they grow!!

I''m also feeling a little less forgetful at work and pumping is going fine. I had a meeting out of the office all day yesterday and had to pump in my car for the first time which went well.

I''m taking Fridays off for the first few weeks back so I''m looking forward to spending tomorrow with Sage! I hope to be able to get a bit more sleep too since she''s been up twice every night this week... I always end up feeding her since I just feel guilty about her getting a bottle all day and I figure if she''s waking up, she''s likely hungry. I need to try to calm her without feeding her though... perhaps tonight since I don''t have to work tomorrow... we''ll see!

Anyway, I hope you''re all well!
xoxo mrs

 

[nycbkgirl]

CDT - i hear ya sista...i was crying my eyes out last nite! this stage is so difficult i keep saying it will get better but im not so sure

...i will def not be having any more kiddos lol! ....he is sooo handsome !...can u tell me how much lex is eating ?? and how much he weighs?

mela- ditto on the speedeating! i havent had a nice quiet meal in ......ah 2 months lol!

mrs- yay for S doing so well with daycare...and very nice about fridays off..enjoy

soooooo....
last nite was the nite from HELL once again...he was up from 730 til ooo duno maybe 4? (i handed him off to daddy at 230am)....he just didnt wanna sleep..and he literally was fighting it lol!....nothing was bothering him...he pooped, ate, burped, farted...he was not in pain! he was just wide awake...so the thing is...if i put him on the back or side ...his hands, voice awaken him and thats it. so he can only sleep on his tummy but last nite as soon as i turn him and put him on stomach he is wide awake ...was trying the pick up put down ...nothing! and hes been doing the same thing today,,,MIL goin nuts as well!,,,i finally got up and put him on tummy and he is out (duno for how long tho)...this is smthg new ,..never happened before, i wanna change formula...wanna try the enfamil gentlease (anyone use or try that?) but it only comes in powder,...has anyone used or uses powder? is it comfortable? i like the instant..open and pour...and do u mix the powder with distilled water (boiled) or the nursing water?

 

[cdt1101]

Mrs - yes he pooped!! Like a champ too...hehehe...these things take time i guess

NYC - As of Monday, Lex weighed 7lb 13 oz (up 5 oz since birth). The ped doesn''t want him to have more than 2 oz every 2 1/2 - 3 hours, but that''s just not happening...i try (like last feeding at noon) and he''s still crying and eating his hand, but i''m not feeding him for at least another hour. He seems more satisfied at 3 oz. So more often than not, that''s what he gets every 3 hours although at night he can stretch 4 hours. I''m not going to lie though, there have been 1 or 2 times where he took 4 oz which the doc was like NO WAY at his age. So I don''t even go there now. He get''s 3 and hopefully that shuts him up

How old are the twins now? Is it just Jon w/ the issues?

 

[MustangGal]

Pandora - at least here they let the dads take up to 12 weeks off too, still not paid, just whatever paid time off they have saved up. DH only took 1 week, since he had only been at his job for 2 months when Kyle was born. Daycare is totally dependent on what you choose. There are large daycare centers, people that do it from their homes, and some employers have their own on-site centers. I chose a neighbor that does it fomr her home so that she can stay home with her own children. I pay $125 per week for 5 days, 9 hours a day. This is on the low end for my area, the centers are closer to $200 per week. It gets cheaper as they get older.

Mrs - I''m glad she''s doing good! And that she smiled for you

. I asked DH if Kyle smiles when he picks him up, and he said yes. I guess its a good sign that they know who you are! Kyle seems to like watching the activity also. He spends a lot of time at daycare on the carpet watching the older kids play. And Kyle pooped again after I got home yesterday, and then again this morning! So I think he''s doing fine. He usually only poops once a day or every-other day, so that''s a lot of poop for him!

nyc - a friend used the gentelease, her baby had constipation issues and it has a different form of iron that is easier to break down. I''ve always used powdered formula, it isn''t hard to mix, it just takes a few minutes, so it''s not as fast as the ready-to-pour variety. I just use filtered tap water.

 

[nycbkgirl]

Cdt- that''s really interestin that pedi says 2oz...my doc said to feed as much as theywant til about 4 months...maybe bc they were preemies but they aren''t anymore...they are 2months and over 8lbs now ...I also printed the chart from babycenter that says 0 to 4 months should eat 2-4oz...I really think lex needs 3 to 4 imho...bc when they were 4 to 6lbs we gave about 2oz so he''s bigger than that...but im not doc lol!...I realized how much to add based upon them being hungry I changed the bottles to 4oz and let them decide how much they want.

Mgal- thanks for the info..will try the gentlease starting tom. Hoping the powder is convienant bc I need quick lol

 

[MustangGal]

blein, I keep meaning to ask, how is your DH doing with being a SAHD? My DH almost had to do this too, and he thought he''d be bored to death, I''m just curious what other men think.

 

[Courtneylub]

Cdt - Love the pics!! I''m surprised at the limit put on the eating because that seem like much weight gain in my opinion. Maybe I''m wrong? Alila gained like 2 lbs in 2.5 weeks.

Mela - YES on the inhaling meals! I was going to make an egg salad sandwich for lunch today, but instead I had a bowl of cereal. It would take too long to boil eggs and all of that and I was FAMISHED!

Pandora - I think DH and I should move!

Mrs. - I''m glad the transition is going well for you. I''m sure it was hard, so it''s good to hear that things are getting easier. I still cry at thought, however.

 

[Blenheim]

Pandora - glad to hear that the BFing is going better! My middie came every day or two (or sometimes twice per day

) for the first week or so, then every week for a couple weeks until it was clear we were coping okay, and then at 6 weeks. We also had ped visits at I think 1 day (house visit), a few days, 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 2 months. The US has abysmal maternity leave policies.

CDT - those pics are adorable!! I''m sorry it''s been so hard - you keep hearing about it before you have kids, but it''s just so hard to imagine until you''re living in it. It gets better.

Mrs - Hey, no problem! And it''s good to hear she''s smiling.

MustangGal - he''s coping for the most part, but I know that he really wants to be working now. There have been a few days when I''ve come home to him practically in tears and just had a baby shoved into my arms before I even can put my purse down. So I know that it''s been hard on him, but that despite it he''s enjoying getting to see so much of George.


I inhale meals too.

George evidently went through all 16 oz that I left him today - that''s a first! DH said he''s been a little piggy all day.

We had our realtor come by the house tonight, just to get a feel of how much we could get for it and to ask her what we need to do before putting it on the market. She says that if we have her stager come by and listen to her and actually do what she says, that she feels confident in having us put it on the market for about $50k more than we thought we could. And she''s selling most of her homes in about a month and getting multiple offers, in a market where some near us are sitting for well over a year, so we feel pretty confident that she''s not overpricing things. We just feel relieved and happy. For now. We''ll see how we feel after the stager comes through.

Fussy baby, back later.

 

[Blenheim]

Ok, evidently he had just gotten hungry again.

After last night, I have decided that I am just going to go around naked from here on out. I was looking in the bathroom mirror and realized that, naked, I look like I belong in a Botticelli painting or something. With clothing, I just look chubby. Anyone want to join me in going around naked?

 

[Burk]

Just wanted to pop in and commiserate with cdt and nyc. Tayva was colicky and life was pretty miserable (mostly in the evenings) for what seemed like forever. There were times DH was like "and you want to do this again??" and I would say "It will get better." It did. T is amazingly happy now and obviously DH forgot about the colic and crying because I'm preggo again!

I will say that for us the key was a combination of the right prescription for her reflux and finding a formula that she did well on (she was intolerant to dairy, soy and corn which we figured out through trial and error). Sometimes babies do just cry, but I wasn't going to just throw in the towel and we worked with her GI doc and her pedi to find and answer. nyc~I would try Similac Allimentum ready serve. It is hypoallergenic like the nutramigen, however it has no corn syrup (which almost all formulas have) and the corn could bother Jon's belly. Worth a shot.

 

[nycbkgirl]

Date: 6/18/2009 9:10:36 PM
Author: Burk
Just wanted to pop in and commiserate with cdt and nyc. Tayva was colicky and life was pretty miserable (mostly in the evenings) for what seemed like forever. There were times DH was like ''and you want to do this again??'' and I would say ''It will get better.'' It did. T is amazingly happy now and obviously DH forgot about the colic and crying because I''m preggo again!

I will say that for us the key was a combination of the right prescription for her reflux and finding a formula that she did well on (she was intolerant to dairy, soy and corn which we figured out through trial and error). Sometimes babies do just cry, but I wasn''t going to just throw in the towel and we worked with her GI doc and her pedi to find and answer. nyc~I would try Similac Allimentum ready serve. It is hypoallergenic like the nutramigen, however it has no corn syrup (which almost all formulas have) and the corn could bother Jon''s belly. Worth a shot.

omgggg BURK congrats

...sending u all the healthy preggo vibes!!!
i actually just bought the similac sensitive and will give that a shot starting tom..its the same as enfamil gentlease (which only comes in powder)....alimentum isnt the same as nutramigen?..does the nutra have the corn syrup?? will have to look....there are days where he is fine and then days like last nite...so i duno if its really the milk bothering him>?...if it was wouldnt he be bad all the time

...how did u know T had the reflux? i duno what to look for...
.and what a model in the avi u got there!!!
thanks and wooohooo again burk!


BLEN- LOLOL u had me laughin at the naked thing...i will NOT be joining u

 

[Burk]

nyc~Thanks! It's still super early (6.5 weeks). All formulas but the allimentum ready serve have some sort of corn if you check the ingredients. Tayva had good days and bad days, yes. And she was usually better in the morning than at night. Usually it got bad at around 5-6 pm (which made DH so upset since that was right when he was getting home). We took T to a Pediatric GI doc. Most people think reflux is just babies who spit up....T didn't spit up all that much. She did projectile vomit from time to time, she had a lot of wet burps, she cried a lot and she eventually went through a period of 2 weeks where she basically refused to eat. She cried any time we got a bottle near her. That's what prompted our pedi to get her in with the GI doc. Basically it was just trial and error to see if she would show improvement on meds (she was on zantac first-it did nothing and then changed to prilosec and it was AMAZING) as well as a formula change. All this to say, maybe Jon is just a baby who cries, but maybe his belly hurts and if his belly hurts just keep working with his pedi to try and find something that will help him. Good luck! Hope tonight is a better night!!

 

[nycbkgirl]

Date: 6/18/2009 10:08:32 PM
Author: Burk
nyc~Thanks! It''s still super early (6.5 weeks). All formulas but the allimentum ready serve have some sort of corn if you check the ingredients. Tayva had good days and bad days, yes. And she was usually better in the morning than at night. Usually it got bad at around 5-6 pm (which made DH so upset since that was right when he was getting home). We took T to a Pediatric GI doc. Most people think reflux is just babies who spit up....T didn''t spit up all that much. She did projectile vomit from time to time, she had a lot of wet burps, she cried a lot and she eventually went through a period of 2 weeks where she basically refused to eat. She cried any time we got a bottle near her. That''s what prompted our pedi to get her in with the GI doc. Basically it was just trial and error to see if she would show improvement on meds (she was on zantac first-it did nothing and then changed to prilosec and it was AMAZING) as well as a formula change. All this to say, maybe Jon is just a baby who cries, but maybe his belly hurts and if his belly hurts just keep working with his pedi to try and find something that will help him. Good luck! Hope tonight is a better night!!

thanks for the info! he doesnt have any of those symptoms and ystdy he just did not want to sleep..absolutley nothing bothered him lol...he didnt cry ...he just fussed and didnt wanna be in the bassinett at all. tonite is going well (hope not to jinx myself lol)...hes been sleeping today and doing well...will see how this new formula works out ...i also noticed the nites are worse(of course thats my shift lol) so hoping i see a change. thanks again!

 

[nycbkgirl]

morning...soooo the sleep gods blessed me last nite and good thing bc DH had ot and has not yet returned from work!....jon slept after every feeding ystdy...and at nite he ate at 1130 and was out by midnight and up at 530am! wooooot! yes that is a lot for me lol....but he doesnt wanna sleep after the am feeding so ive been up since 530 and i put him in the swing and did some cleaning and now waiting for MIL. he is sleeping in the swing and i duno if i should wake him to put in bassinett or just let him be...dont want him to get used to the swing and all.

hope everyone else had a good sleep!

 

[Pandora II]

LOL on the going naked Blen. I totally get the idea - I seem to have a distinctly Rubenesque stomach still. I''ve been lucky and lost all but 13lbs - which I am convincing myself is all boob (I mean milk is HEAVY stuff right?), but I''m not sure a flat stomach is on the horizon anytime soon...

Well, the putting her down and ignoring the few minutes of grumbling seems to be working. Last night she only woke up once at 4am and slept through till 8.30am. I do go to bed at around midnight and I want her to be awake in the evening so that DH can play with her when he gets home, so it''s not as if she''s sleeping from mid-evening but I am so hoping that this lasts a few more days at least!

I''ve also worked out that if she wakes up it''s nearly always because she''s turned onto her back - all I have to do is turn her back onto her side and she drops off again. I have a rolled up blanket behind her to keep her on her side but it''s not completely effective - is there anything that anyone else has tried or that is sold for the purpose?

For those who are bfing, if the baby wakes at night do you just pick them up, feed them and then when they drop off the breast looking totally drunk, put them straight back in the cot or do you keep them awake a bit first? I''ll rub her back a bit to make sure that she hasn''t got any wind - although she rarely seems to have any - but basically my hope is to get her back into the cot asap before she comes round from the milk...

Mrs - I''m so glad that the daycare seems to be working out, must make it slightly easier for you to leave her. They sound like a really good one giving you all that information. Have a lovely day today with Sage.

NYC - Sorry about your night from hell and glad last night was better! Are you putting him to sleep in a dark room during the daytime? Any luck with swaddling which would help with the arms waking him up?

I''m keeping Daisy in the sitting-room during the day so that she''s in the light and surrounded by noise and then in the dark only at night. Even though she''s up a lot in the daytime she definitely seems to be developing a circadian rhythm and learning that dark is not playing time - or at least that is the plan/theory! Certainly noise doesn''t wake her up at all and I''m learning that eyes open and grumbling doesn''t mean awake so now I only pick her up if it''s full on screaming or she''s been asleep a good 3 - 4 hours.

The powder formula they have here you use boiled tapwater that is then left to cool for 10-15 minutes before you make up the bottle.

Mustang - Wow, I can''t believe how much your daycare is - In the UK it''s around $1,100 a month and in central London where I am it''s an average of nearly $1,500 a month for each child under 2 years, and that is just the average. Hence why you can easily end up working just to pay childcare. So depressing...I''m dreading having to find childcare for Daisy - the really sad thing is that my other friends who are having babies this year are all over London, otherwise we could have clubbed together and paid for a nanny. I am vaguely tempted to see if my Polish cleaning lady fancies doing childcare instead - she is so good with Daisy and sings her lullabies in Polish whenever she''s here.

 

[nycbkgirl]

Pandora- I do keep them in the daylight during the day and dim to no light at night and music during day as well...I think its getting better but there are just those days I guess. They won''t have the swaddling at all...they fight to get arms out..I guess we stopped it too early and now they want no part of it. Jon also turns to his back when on the side but he seems to like back as well (before he gets startled by hands and or voice lol)...so don''t have many tips...except for those positioners they sell..u can adjust them so they won''t be able to turn...bru has them.

Ditto about daycare in nyc...I was just tellin my sis that some ppl get it for like 200..she couldn''t believe it lol...a nanny here would run about 400 a week (that''s the low end)...but daycare center would be 800 a month..so I guess that''s almost the same as mgal pays per week.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 6/19/2009 8:20:03 AM
Author: Pandora II
For those who are bfing, if the baby wakes at night do you just pick them up, feed them and then when they drop off the breast looking totally drunk, put them straight back in the cot or do you keep them awake a bit first? I''ll rub her back a bit to make sure that she hasn''t got any wind - although she rarely seems to have any - but basically my hope is to get her back into the cot asap before she comes round from the milk...

I do what you do. I figure he gets lots of practice falling asleep the other 5 times a day that he does it!

 

[cdt1101]

BURK - thanks for the commiseration! We had an AWFUL day yesterday. I would estimate that yesterday he slept in total 10 hours. Like 1 hour here, 1 hour there. We did finally manage to get him to sleep at 9:00 pm after a long car ride and he slept until 1:00. I really only think that was because of pure exhaustion on his part. And he passes gas CONSTANTLY and cries out in pain. My DH and I honestly don''t know what to do and this has only been going on since Saturday night!!!! Months of this, may just break us!

He seems to have gotten MUCH worse the past 2 days since I switched him to the Similiac Sensitive...I don''t think it''s the formulas for us. NYC, I hope you have better luck w/ it!!

 

[Burk]

nyc~yay for a successful night!!

Date: 6/19/2009 11:37:11 AM
Author: cdt1101
BURK - thanks for the commiseration! We had an AWFUL day yesterday. I would estimate that yesterday he slept in total 10 hours. Like 1 hour here, 1 hour there. We did finally manage to get him to sleep at 9:00 pm after a long car ride and he slept until 1:00. I really only think that was because of pure exhaustion on his part. And he passes gas CONSTANTLY and cries out in pain. My DH and I honestly don''t know what to do and this has only been going on since Saturday night!!!! Months of this, may just break us!


He seems to have gotten MUCH worse the past 2 days since I switched him to the Similiac Sensitive...I don''t think it''s the formulas for us. NYC, I hope you have better luck w/ it!!

I''m so sorry you guys had such a terrible day!

Last year on Mother''s Day I went with my mom to visit my grandpa (who just had a triple bipass) in the hospital an hour away so DH and my dad had T. She cried the entire time I was gone until my dad and DH ended up driving around with her for almost 2 hours just to keep her content until I got home. So sad. T also had the gas as well as constipation. My heart just breaks for them...imagine how we feel as adults with gas pains. Poor babes. I highly recommend trying the similac alimentum ready serve. We tried BFing and 9 different formulas and alimentum was the only one that worked for us. Doesn''t mean it will work for Lex, but worth giving it a shot! A lot of times colicky babies have intolerance to food and formulas like similac sensitive have dairy proteins still (they''re just broken up smaller) and dairy is the number one food intolerance. Good luck and feel free to vent any time you need!!!

 

[MustangGal]

cdt - have you tried gas drops? They seemed to help Kyle some when he was gassy. And it can take a week on a new fomula for changes to happen. I''m sorry it''s been so hard for you!

Pandora - wow, your daycare would be more than my mortgage

! And I''ve been trying to get DH to agree to only 1 child because I think it''s expensive here...

For the sleep trianing pros - Kyle doesn''t have any problem falling asleep, but he''s started waking up once or twice in the night. He doesn''t need fed or anything, and usually just popping the paci back in and turning on the mobile knock him back out. Is there something else I should be doing to make him either not wake up, or go back to sleep on his own? He doesn''t cry every time he wakes, half the time he''s just talking and I try not to go in (until I''m sick of lying there awake listeneing to him

).

 

[Dreamer_D]

We will also be paying around $1200 per month for our childcare when Hunter starts it...

 

[Mrs]

I pay more than $1200 per month for childcare... kids are expensive!

 

[nycbkgirl]

CDT- ugh im sooo sorry i totally relate

...did u speak to ur pedi about another formula?? the aliumentim may be a good idea its the similac version of nutramigen (which i use) and they poop great (knock on wood). i bought the senitive also but my friend talked me out of using it bc she said the nutramigen is working well for them, they poop, burp etc and just bc i have a few sleepless nites doesnt mean its the formula...so back to the store the sensitive goes....u are using mylicon after every feeding??


Burk- thanks! i always say the same thing...how much pain im in with gas and i can imagine what they are going thru poor things

countdown to circumcision and i am crying once again...its this sunday and i cant sleep at all and i imagine it in my head and i constantly battle my family with discussions about how its not medically necessary. but it is what it is, dh wants it done and i am compromising (unwillingly)...i dont want anyone there during the actual procedure except for dh, and both parents and my sis (who is my representative lol)...so dh''s granny threw a fit about how they have to be there and how its such a joyful occasion....WHAT!!

its the most devastating time for me and they want to watch like its a show and celebrate...hell F''N no....bottom line dont care if that upsets them they should be glad its being done at all! ....

 

[cdt1101]

NYC and MGal - yes we starting using the mylicon this week, after the feeding seems to work the best. After 2 horrible days, we switched him back to the soy and yesterday was a DREAM compared to the previous 2 days. He even slept in his crib last night for 2, 3 hour stretches!!!!!! And he''s had WAY less gas in the past 24 hours (since the switch back to soy). So I''m thinking at this point, we''re sticking w/ the soy and seeing how it goes. It definitely seems to work much better than the milk based formula. Honestly if everyday is like yesterday I can''t complain TOO much. I mean he still screamed his head of for awhile, but we just too him for a stroller walk each time and he was out like a light. I can live w/ that for now!

NYC - try not to stress about the circ, like i said before it never seemed to bother Lex at all. And it heals pretty quickly!

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Date: 6/19/2009 8:01:43 PM
Author: dreamer_dachsie
We will also be paying around $1200 per month for our childcare when Hunter starts it...

WOW. It''s $105 here a week. For the good daycares in the county I work in. The county I live in is more "metro" or suburban and less rural, so it''s more here. But I want my baby within 5 minutes of me at work anyway. If I work after I have her/him.

 

[nycbkgirl]

Date: 6/20/2009 10:04:20 AM
Author: cdt1101
NYC and MGal - yes we starting using the mylicon this week, after the feeding seems to work the best. After 2 horrible days, we switched him back to the soy and yesterday was a DREAM compared to the previous 2 days. He even slept in his crib last night for 2, 3 hour stretches!!!!!! And he''s had WAY less gas in the past 24 hours (since the switch back to soy). So I''m thinking at this point, we''re sticking w/ the soy and seeing how it goes. It definitely seems to work much better than the milk based formula. Honestly if everyday is like yesterday I can''t complain TOO much. I mean he still screamed his head of for awhile, but we just too him for a stroller walk each time and he was out like a light. I can live w/ that for now!

NYC - try not to stress about the circ, like i said before it never seemed to bother Lex at all. And it heals pretty quickly!

im soooo glad u had a good nite

...so maybe lactose was the issue? def stick to whats working and i hope it stays this way!!
thanks for the circ reassurance...but u did it in a hospital, which is where i wanted to do it but this at home thing is stressin me more

last nite was hoooorible...its like 1 good nite 1 bad..thank goodness dh was home and i passed out at 12 and he was with jon who wasnt sleeping and then my sis brought jackie in at 530am bc she wasnt sleeping all nite and sis needed some sleep...urgh disaster!

 

[Pandora II]

NYC - Sorry about the horrible night - and even more for how you are feeling about the circ. I must admit that I made DH go through a list of non-negotiables quite early on in our relationship so that I could be sure we agreed - things like what we would do if the baby tested + for Downs at the NT scan, and circumcision was another. Luckily we agreed on all of them - except him being adamant on not wanting kids

- but I can imagine just how you must feel being in this position. Is there anyway that they would allow your son to make his own decision at a later age?


I seem to be blessed by the sleep gods - D went down awake last night at midnight, went to sleep within 3 minutes and slept till 4am when I fed her for 20 minutes, changed her and put her back down. Then she slept till 8am when she woke up and talked to the ceiling for an hour before starting to thrash around a bit so I brought her into bed with me, fed her and she went back to sleep until 10am.

It seems that she is learning that dark equals straight back to sleep and daylight equals playtime first as our bedroom has very lightweight curtains - I can''t sleep in a room that is dark in the morning as it messes with my bodyclock, so I''ll just have to live with earlyish morning wake-ups even at weekends (I am so not a morning person

)

Long may this last - she only cries now if she is put in her bouncy chair wide awake (ie so I can have dinner/take a shower/do the laundry etc) and then geez can she scream: bright red, sweating, tears, the whole works! The rest of the time she just likes to sit on my knee and make funny little noises at me.

She watched most of Royal Ascot on television this afternoon

- I guess she likes the movement as I don''t think they can see much else at this age? However I presume she''ll be following in my footsteps and opening an account with a bookmaker as soon as possible

.

I''m guessing a growth spurt is coming up soon and I''ll be back with monster child...


I was reading the replies in the Sleep Training thread - when you all talk about co-sleeping there, is that co-sleeping as in kid in your bed or as in kid in separate cot in your bedroom?

I''m planning on trying to do the first 6 months in with us (in own cot) and then move her to her own room (probably take that long for it to stop being part office, part junk room, part nursery). I was wondering how people manage the move? Did you just pick a day and move them in, or wait until you''ve been away for a few days with relatives or on holiday etc and then move them in so that it''s not a direct transition, or did you gradually wean them off sleeping in your room?


And WTF is it with childcare costs - maybe I should be setting up a nursery as it seems rather lucrative... I presume you need to like other peoples'' offspring though