PS Mommy Thread-Newborn to 12 months!

[Mrs Mitchell]

Hey mommies! I haven''t been here in ages (and I just realised, I don''t have a baby the right age for this thread anymore

) but I was reading / catching up and I wanted to post this for Sabine:

http://www.respisense.com/en/index.php

We used this for Amelia, up until she was a year old. We live in the UK, where tummy sleeping is only frowned on slightly less than ritual sacrifice, and our girl kept rolling over onto her tummy. The monitor is just a small box that clips onto the top of the diaper and senses breath movement. If it doesn''t sense movement for a certain time, it vibrates -supposed to ''remind'' baby to take a breath. Then, if there''s no movement within a few more seconds, it alarms. We had two false alarms in that year, but one time when she really had stopped breathing, so I think this little gadget might have saved her life. You can use it anywhere, like if he''s napping on you or in a car seat or whatever.

I wonder if that might help your DH feel better about tummy sleeping if that''s what you need to do? I totally undestand where he''s coming from, I felt exactly the same way, but if your DS doesn''t sleep on his back, something has to give. We had to let Amelia sleep on her tummy in the end because basically there was no way to prevent it, other than waking her by turning her over multiple times an hour, all night. We just had to have a little comfort about the situation and we weren''t confident that the crib monitors were going to work 100% reliably (I''m sure they do, but our Dr doesn''t like them and made me totally paranoid about it).

So sorry you''re going through this, there''s nothing worse than sleep deprivation.

Big hugs,

Jen

 

[MustangGal]

It was a busy weekend around here! I''m sorry for all the sleeping issues

, but at least some are getting better!

Mela - I''m happy CIO worked for you! I hope it keeps going smoothly.

nyc - my doc said not to do cereal in the bottle at all, but it did work well for us as a first food becasue you can mix it with the formula, so it tastes the same to them.

chinacat - as 5 weeks old the swing is about as "engaged" as they get i think! I didn''t do much at that age either... I took my guy out grocery shopping at 4 days old, and he even got to go with me to the ER at 1 week old

. We also went out to dinner for the first time when he was around 5 weeks, and I walked him everyday. That was a few months back tough, before Swine flu. You''d probably go bonkers if you didn''t get out at all! Just don''t let anyone touch him, and wash up good before you touch him too and I would think you''ll be alright.

sabine - I''m sorry your DH doesn''t support tummy sleeping. Can Jacks move his head? Once he learns to rollover they say it''s fine to let them sleep on their tummy if they rolled that way. I think the most risk is right at first, right? I let my guys nap on his tummy when he was really little. Maybe ask your pedi and see what he says.

blen - I hope you and George are doing better after the accident, that had to be scary!

fiery - I hope you make it through your first week back, it gets easier when you get a routine down for preping baby/remember everything. I''m sure your MIL will enjoy her time with the baby too.

DD - I hope the move goes well!

Ebree - congrats on Henry rolling! Hopefully he doesn''t start doing it in his sleep and waking himself up. That seems to have happened to several of the babies around here...

And hi to everyone else, and the new mommies!

We took Kyle to a MLB game Saturday. He did pretty well, until the crowed went wild when one of our guys got a grand slam

. It was his bed time then too, so I think that was the final straw. He''s also crawling all over and getting into everything. So far cords and shoes seem to be his favorite. And he learned how to yell. I guess it''s better than squeeling, but it''s a little odd to see him playing away and then suddenly let out a yell, then just keep on going like nothing happened

. There is one good thing about mobility, he entertains himself much better now!

 

[E B]

Penelope- Thank you so much! And I hear you re: needing naps during the day. If H doesn't sleep a particular amount, he's grouchy because he's overtired.

cdt- Thank you! Have you posted a recent photo of Lex? The one in your icon is adorable.

ETA: Mustang- Thanks! He's swaddled at night, so I'm not worried just yet. I can see it becoming an issue when we no longer swaddle, though.

On my way to the post office, I thought of two questions I've been meaning to ask other moms. If these topics have been discussed, I apologize! Just let me know approx. how many pages back. I try to stay current, but I've missed some posts lately.

1. Is three months too young for separation anxiety? H can be away from me for about an hour in the morning, right after he eats, but if he's away from me (while awake) for even 10 minutes for the rest of the day, he screams and cries until I hold him. My poor husband tries everything, but only Mommy stops the waterworks 90 percent of the time. He's a happy baby most of the time, as long as I'm around.

2. Has anyone else been dealing with hair loss? When I brush my hair in the morning before a shower, I fill the bristles. It's awful. I read it's common and starts around 3 months PP, but that isn't very reassuring. It's really starting to freak me out.

I'm so glad we've got this network of other new moms to talk to, even if you're all hundreds of miles away!

 

[Blenheim]

Insurance co determined that the accident was not at fault! Yay!

EBREE - this development chart says that separation anxiety may begin at 5 months, but I''ve noticed that George hits some of those milestones before they say he should so I''m not sure how accurate it is. I''ve had a bit of hair loss, but not quite that bad. I''m just shedding all over the place as I go about my day. That amount stinks. George is 5.5 months and has recently started to become more interested in toys and able to purposefully move them, so it may happen just in time for you. And Henry''s a cutie!!

DD - sorry about your ring. I don''t know what advice to give. If you do end up needing to replace it, it would probably be easier from an emotional/sentimental standpoint to do it while he''s still pretty little if it''s his baby ring.

Fiery - oh no! Just what you needed today, I''m sure.

MissChi - welcome!

Burk - LOL at Miss T.

 

[PenelopeJane]

Ebree not sure about when separation anxiety occurs, but I think Axel is going through it now. It may be the reason he is crying when I put him down for naps and at bed time (when before he would go down easily). And now, if I am in the kitchen or on the other side of the room he will crawl to my feet and push his face into my legs, wanting to be picked up, instead of playing with his toys on his own.

Re: hair loss, I experienced it after both births. Mine is now just stopping. I thought I was going bald. In the shower after rinsing out shampoo, I would pull handful after handful of hair out and stuck them to the shower wall. I could''ve made a wig. I am noticing little hairs growing out now. With my first, the hair grew back completely, but the first 4-5 months I looked silly with a ton of little hairs sticking up everywhere, mostly along the frontal hairline. Don''t worry, it will grow back!

 

[E B]

Blen- Thank you! I'm thinking it's probably early SA. It's something I hoped to avoid, but we don't have a lot of family around to watch him (thereby exposing him to others).

Date: 9/28/2009 6:16:26 PM
Author: PenelopeJane

Re: hair loss, I experienced it after both births. Mine is now just stopping. I thought I was going bald. In the shower after rinsing out shampoo, I would pull handful after handful of hair out and stuck them to the shower wall. I could've made a wig. I am noticing little hairs growing out now. With my first, the hair grew back completely, but the first 4-5 months I looked silly with a ton of little hairs sticking up everywhere, mostly along the frontal hairline. Don't worry, it will grow back!

I did the same thing! That's why I've started to brush before showering- it somehow looks like less (but still a TON!) when dry.

Thank you for sharing your experience! I can't wait until it stops.

 

[MustangGal]

ebree - I clogged the shower drain a few times with all teh hair that fell out

, even my eyebrows got thinner! But it''s stopped now, I think it got better arounf 5 or 6 months PP.

Blen - That''s great that it wasn''t your fault! I hope you get the car all fixed up and don''t have issues with the other person''s insurance.

 

[MissChi]

Thanks for all of the warm welcomes! I am so glad I decided to join!

mela lu - I have been following your bf''ing struggles and just wanted to say that you should be very proud of yourself for sticking it out! I too had a LOT of pain at the beginning and everyone kept telling me that it would/should go away much sooner than it did. Even though my son bf''ed like a champ, for whatever reason the pain lasted for months. However, eventually it went away and I ended up bf''ing him until just a few week ago (when he was around 14.5 months old). I never thought I would last that long, but like you, was determined to stick it out. Anyway, I just wanted to say again that you should really be proud for staying with it! From someone who has been there, I promise it does get better and is worth it in the end!

EBree - Thanks for the welcome! I love the picture! Too cute!

PenelopeJane - Glad we are newbies together! I love the name Penelope Jane!

Blenheim - Thanks for the welome! Glad you and George are ok after your accident. That is one of my biggest fears as a mom.

Hi to everyone else!

 

[mela lu]

Thanks for the kudos Miss Chi, I actually do feel QUITE proud

of my BF''ing persistence. Clipping his tongue tie really made all the difference in the world!

Blen - I think I forgot, and then re-forgot to mention HOW CUTE George is. I mean, he was born a very attractive little man, but he really is quite a beauty Loved that carrot pic.

K, Romy is down for the night so I''m going to do some laundry

. FUN.

 

[Blenheim]

I''m in a no-fault state, so your insurance company pays for damage to your car regardless of who''s at fault. But - the fault determination means that I have NO deductible instead of a $1000 deductible, plus they can''t charge me for it in my insurance premiums for 3 years like they would for an at-fault accident. Phew!! And, they''re covering the carseat!

Mela- aw, thanks! I''m also very impressed by your persistance with BFing - that''s just amazing. I think we have similar attitudes about dirt... I''ll just let George roll around in the grass and dirt at times. It''s nothing that a little bit of soap and water can''t handle. He''s eaten grass when I''m not looking before though.

The only solid that he''s had so far... grass...

 

[PenelopeJane]

Ebree no problem. It''s good to know we''re not alone when it comes to things like that.

Thanks MissChi!! What is your little one''s name?

Mela I''m jumping on the bandwagon--moms like you should get some kind of medal. I breastfed Axel til he was 4 months old. It was fairly easy and pain-free so it''s awesome that you breastfed through all the pain.

Blen sweet deal! I want to live in a state like that. Funny about eating grass. Axel was playing in it today and everytime he tried to eat it he made a face like he was going to sneeze. Tried getting a picture of it cause I thought it was the funniest face, but I only managed to capture smiley ones.

 

[littlelysser]

Hey ladies! I guess I should pop over here and join the group!

For those that don''t check out the pregnancy thread, I had Calvin James on September 4.

The last three weeks have been good, if not challenging. Calvin is a sweet baby and DH and I are quite smitten. We just think he''s about the cutest little guy ever.

At this point, I am BFing and it is going pretty well, I guess. It has been tough. I''m not sure I''m making enough milk and Calvin is a very laid back eater...meaning he''ll get on the boob and fall right asleep. Drives me slightly crazy. So yeah. We saw a lactation consultant and he''s gaining weight well, but I still worry. He also isn''t pooping very much at all. We''ve told our Ped about it, and we are working on getting things fixed, but it has been a bit worrisome.

Other than that, and some day and night confusion, things are going well. DH and I are exhausted...but I''m hoping that''ll get better over the next few weeks.

Quick question - When did you guys start working on the whole sleep training thing? Calvin is 3 and 1/2 weeks and we are having some issues...well, not issues, but things that could be improved. part of me things three weeks is too early. Thoughts?

Some quick drive by posts -

China - I hear you on the swing and worrying about not stimulating Calvin enough. We love the swing, but sometimes I feel guilty for using it too much.

Sabine - I''m sorry to hear all the crap you are going through! That is just tough. Have you gotten any sleep the last few nights?

Hello to everyone else! I''ve been lurking on this thread forever...and I''ll be an active participant, I''m just so farking tired! I''m about to fall asleep at the computer!

Oh, and I''ve attached a pic of my favorite little dude!

 

[gailrmv]

Welcome LittleLysser!

At that age, I remember getting out the sleep books and trying to figure out what I could do, because we had a really hard time with my little guy and sleep (especially naps!) I think all we really did was start with a bedtime routine, try to get him to bed at approx the same time every night (8 ish), keep the room dark, and when he woke up at night, stay in his room stay in the dark and not talk much so that he would start learning that day=light=play and activity, night=dark=sleep and nursing, not an active time.

Of course, if you need to turn on the lights or the TV or music for your sanity, that should override what I'm saying, because it's really too early for them to learn bad habits at that age I think!

I felt my milk supply was a little low, and I used More Milk Plus tablets made by Motherlove. They helped. My Whole Foods carries them and they are also online.

I remember those early weeks seemed so hard to me and they seemed like one continuous day with no sleep. Around 6 weeks things started getting easier, and that is also when I felt 100% again after my c-section. I know these early days are rough, but enjoy how tiny and adorable Calvin is because it will race by! He's precious!

Mela I am so glad they could identify and fix his tongue tie! I was reading about that while I was trying to figure out my blood blister. So were they able to just clip it right then and there, no anesthesia or anything? I am so glad they figured it out!

Ebree I had hair loss too. I have very thick hair so I didn't really miss it, but now I have these weird little fringey bangs growing

I think my hair loss started about 2 or 3 mo pp and kept up til about 5 mo pp but it was never really dramatic. Maybe yours is going to be all at once and then stop!

 

[PenelopeJane]

About to drop off DD at school and just wanted to say congrats Littlelysser, Calvin is so adorable!!

Axel started textbook crawling this morning!!!

 

[Mrs]

hi mamas! Sorry I haven't been around a ton.

DD, good luck with your move!

congrats to all those who have had better luck with sleep. Mela, I'm so glad you were able to get Romy to STTN!

Ebree, my hair is still falling out like crazy 6 mo out. I'm so sick of it! I'm not sure about separation anxiety that young. Sage didn't get it until just recently and it's only with people she doesn't really know well. Rather frustrating though since she used to be happy in anyone's arms. Love that pic you posted - Henry is so cute!

Blen, I'm so sorry to hear about your accident but glad you're okay!

Penelope, another cute pic!

Welcome MissChi

Welcome LL, your little one is adorable!

Sabine, I hope your Dh comes around so that you can have Jacks sleep on his tummy if that's what's most comfy for him!

Hi

everyone else Sorry for not giving everyone an individual shout out!

All's well here. S is still getting up a bunch at night but I've stopped responding to every cry and last night she was able to settle down on her own a few times. I used to always nurse her back to sleep when she woke but I'm finding that she's now more stimulated by my presence and I can't always get her back to sleep. As such, I've started putting her down awake when she wakes up and nurses in the middle of the night which has been a good thing since I think she's learning to put herself back to sleep instead of relying on me. My mom sent me a link to a sleep expert's blog which has some good strategies in the archives for sleep problems. One that I plan to implement has to do with disassociating sleep from nursing. I always nurse her in the dark before she goes down but going forward, I'm going to try to do so with the light on and then read a book to her so that she stops feeling like she needs to nurse to get to sleep. I've been encouraging that habit at night and when she wakes from a nap too soon. I realize now, that I thought I was helping her since I wanted her to get back to sleep but in reality, I think it was hurting her since it may be preventing her from learning how to get back to sleep on her own... Here's the blog if anyone is interested: link

Hope you're all having a great day!
Mrs
Sage is 6.5 mos old!

 

[Pandora II]

Hi All, sorry have been MIA - have been trying to catch up... love all the photos and welcome to all the ''newbies'' new and old!

We went away to stay with my parents for a week while DH was off on a work trip. It was really nice to see them for a good chunk of time and to have a few hands to hold her for me! We also had a lot of fun - went to a huge shopping mall so my mother could try out one of their disability scooters as her walking is now so bad it''s stopping her doing anything. Well, I couldn''t keep up - she kept borrowing Daisy and charging off at high speed. Daisy loved it! She also taught Daisy to blow bubbles. Grrr - it''s like living with a whale now... showered with spit on every occasion!

Daisy is changing so fast now it''s scary. She ''talks'' non-stop, sadly in this terrible corncrake screech, and is starting to play more on her own. I have noticed that she''s developing Stranger Anxiety - floods of tears if anyone other than DH or I pick her up. Oddly she was fine with my parents and it''s not that she had seen them much before this week. My mother does sound very like me, and possibly we smell the same??? who knows, but it was interesting that she went straight to them but won''t with anyone else. She also met my parent''s cats - I have some lovely photos of them all curled up asleep together on the sofa.

She''s VERY interested in my eating things and watches intently, but I''m not giving her anything other than breastmilk until she''s 6 calendar months. What I do let her have is a little bit of water as she really enjoys drinking it out of a glass. If I''m drinking something she''ll hold her head up with her mouth open like a little bird, wave her arms in the direction of my glass and make ''mmmm'' noises. So cute...for now...

China - I didn''t take D out much at all in the first 6 weeks, but that was because I was feeling very agrophobic and was convinced that I would drop her, fall over or something else terrible would happen. Once I started going out things got a lot better. I''m in the dirt is good for you camp, and disinfectant doesn''t exist in my house, but I HATE strangers touching my baby. Luckily people in London are fairly good that way - they smile and cluck, but don''t touch.

Sabine - I''m so sorry for what you are going through. I would go and see your doctor about possible PPD - even if it''s just bad baby blues there are still things that can done to help you. I can''t remember if you''ve tried putting Jacks on his side and raising up one end of the crib mattress at all? D is a side-sleeper and won''t lie flat at all without screaming blue murder. Otherwise, if front sleeping works, I would speak to your ped and get them to okay it.

Blen - Glad you and George are okay after the car crash, how frightening. Gorgeous photos of your little boy!

Mela - Great news on the breastfeeding, I''m so glad it''s getting better for you. I can''t believe they didn''t spot the tongue-tie in hospital, we had checks for it straight after birth. Breastfeeding is so nice (IMO) that I''m sos sad for you having such a bad time for all these months.


Sleeping is still hmmmm. I put Daisy down at about 10pm, she''ll wake up around midnight when I go to bed and then every 3 hours or so after that really hungry each time. I''ve tried cluster feeding in the evening but it makes no difference. She''s not sucking for comfort as she''s done in 5 minutes but always takes a full feed. She also eats around every 3 hours in the day - I''m doing EAEASY at the moment.

She''s quite happy sleeping in her crib, but it''s easier for me if she sleeps in my bed, so I tend to start the night with her in her own bed and then move her to mine. Part of me worries that she''ll find it hard to eventually move out - but then there are kids who transition quite happily.

Are you still bed-sharing Blen?

Otherwise, life has been a bit sad and stressful - my 38 year old cousin was diagnosed with very aggressive breast-cancer in Spring 2008, she had a mastectomy and chemo and seemed to be in remission and doing well. She started feeling unwell 2 weeks ago and went in for some tests - turns out that she has inoperable secondaries in her ovaries and bones. She''s doing chemo, but short of a miracle we all know that it''s months (without the chemo they said she had till Christmas). My uncle is in a terrible state, she''s being incredibly brave. All of us are just so sad, she is such a young and vibrant person and has so much to live for - she''s waiting for the result of her Masters at the moment. I can''t stop thinking how frightening it must be to wake-up every day wondering how many mornings you still have, and then I imagine how I would feel in my uncle''s shoes if Daisy had something like that.

Just to add to everything, my brother''s BIL was then found dead on Sunday morning. They think it was a heart attack but he was in his 20''s, epileptic and just out of re-hab so everyone is waiting for the pm to be done.

 

[Blenheim]

Penelope Jane, when I read that Axel was crawling I got a teensy bit jealous. I''ve been dreading it, but lately George keeps backing himself away from his toys and then getting upset that he can''t reach them. I think he''d be happier if he could crawl.

Pandora, so sorry about all of that horrible stuff going on.
We''re still bedsharing, with no intent to stop particularly soon. Our plan once the house sells is to move in with DH''s parents for a while, and so with 5 adults and 1 baby (and 4 dogs!) in a 4 bedroom house I think that we''re basically going to need to keep sharing a room, haha. Our ped did mention that it can be easier to move the baby out of your room now than waiting, although it''s really a personal decision (she chose to keep her babies in the room with her). G starts off the night in his own room right now, and just moves to ours when we all go to bed.
Are you still planning on BLW? And are you going to give more solid chunks of stuff and letting her gum at them, or are you mashing stuff up with a fork? We''re still waiting until at least 6 months for solids (except for apparently grass), and I''m trying to figure out when/how to introduce them after that point. That point apparently being in a week and a half.

I don''t know where the time is going.

GOOD NEWS! We got an offer on the house today. Less than we had hoped (of course) but we''re hoping that we can negotiate to a place where we''re both happy. Fingers crossed.

 

[mela lu]

Blen - good luck with the house! I cannot believe George is almost 6 months already. ?! Where IS the time going?

Pandora - OMG what a terrible chain of events! I'm so sorry for this sad time

Thankfully you have your little chatterbox to cheer you up. Geez.

PenelopeJ - Cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuute pic!

HIYA LittleL! We've been waiting for you

. Calvin is just SO SO SO cute! Congrats. As for sleep training, I've been (admittedly) very focused on this since day 1, and we basically started sleep *conditioning* from the get go. What I did was, I maintained a strict 2.5 - 3 hr feeding schedule, I stuck to the EASY routine (Eat, Activity, Sleep, You) to ensure that Baby was not falling asleep at the boob (and dev'p a dependancy on the boob to fall asleep) and I tried to him to "fall asleep" on his own, in his basinet at nap time/bed time. This was challenging. I would spend the majority of my day doing "pick-up-put-down" when he was drowsy but not asleep. Usually, he would start crying, so I'd "pick-up and then pit-down" once he was drowsy again. After tons of persistence, he would finally fall asleep. This mind-numbing routine went on and on and on, until one day, it wasn't as boring anymore

At "bedtime", we always did the same bath, massage, feed, sleep routine. We used white noise to help signal sleep, and used the pacifier as another sleep cue. This became a problem when the paci became a "crutch" for him. When that happened, we cut him off it cold turkey (but that's another story).
Basically, I used routine and time scheduling to "train" him.

Now he can put himself to sleep very easily, and his body clock is so TRAINED that he knows exactly what to expect. It's easy for both of us now

. If you're looking for books, try "Secrets of the Baby Whisperer" for the EASY routine. For sleep/feed training, I liked "Baby Wise" (although it's TOO strict, but helps you understand how to set a schedule and why it works).

Otherwise, you just have to listen to your baby and do what works for you both!

***

Has anyone heard from Independant Gal (Indy)? I think of her all the time, and wonder if she still comes by here anymore

*Romeo 17 weeks*

 

[PenelopeJane]

Mrs thanks! It sounds like you are on the right path to get Sage to sleep on her own. Good to hear you are being proactive. Keep us updated on the progress!

Pandora so sorry to hear about your family. Sounds like Daisy is doing great. I have no advice about sleep for BF moms. It is such a different ball game. You''re never sure if they''re getting enough since BM is more quickly digested than formula so night time feedings could be on the docket for a while. Totally off topic, but for whatever reason, when I read your posts, I view you as this old/wise English mother goose. ha ha. That is a compliment, btw.

Blen I''m sorry. My intention was not to boast or brag. Just excited to share, although I AM nervous that he is crawling since I spend a lot of one-on-one time with DD and he''s usually playing on the floor next to us. It is getting hard to spend quality time with her while supervising Axel. Luckily, we still have his naps (most of the time). I hope you guys get to sell the house!

Thank you, Mela!

Nyc must be enjoying vacation with DH.

Hi everyone else.

Has anyone''s baby transitioned to 2 naps yet? If so, when did this happen? Axel takes 3 naps, but I am wondering if he is fighting naps because he doesn''t need a 3rd one and needs to stay up longer in between the 1st and 2nd one.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Sorry for the quick replies:

Penelope We transitioned to two naps when Hunter was around 5.5months I think? It is a blurr. I just kept him up 1/2 hour longer nefore nap 1 and nap 2, and kept him up about an hour longer before bed. It is cranky at first but then he gets used to it. He still will take a 3rd nap sometimes if he didn''t nap well that day.

Hair loss I found I lost NONE when pg and now I am losing tonnes. Clogs galore. I just got my hair cut really short, like Rhiannon and Pink, and I love it but you can see the baby hairs a little

Sleep training We started at 4 weeks with helping Hunter learn to sleep in his crib and also learning to fall asleep without BFing.

Lysser All BFing moms worry that their baby isn''t getting enough. As long as he is growing and he is peeing heavy wet diapers 6x per day then you are fine. Pooping can vary so much from baby to baby. Hunter only pooped once per week from the time he was 6 weeks until we started solids! Hang in there, it get easier and then it is sooooo convenient!

MG So true that crawling makes life easier... Hunter LOVEs exploring everything, and cords and shoes are also his fave. And although I am a laid back mom re: dirt, I do drawe the line at him cuking on the wheel of the stroller

EBree I don''t think true separation anxeity starts that early. You may just have a child who is more sensitive tempermentally and feels nervous or scared by new things. Kids are all different. From a developmental psych perspective, you are not doing any harm to your child by responding to him if he needs to be held by you. Perhaps you can encourage him to try new things while being with you, and to meet new people while in your arms?

Hi to everyone else! Move is going well but I am busy and can''t squeeze in as much PS time as I would like

 

[MustangGal]

Pandroa - I''m sorry for all the crazy things that have happened in your family

welcome littlelysser! I hope the little guy starts sleeping better soon. I didn''t intentionally do any sleep training, we just fell into a routine that worked, but it didn''t really click into place until about 6 weeks.

PenelopeJane - congrats on Axel crawling! It was a little bittersweet for me, his crawling was a great step forward, but another step away from my cute little helpless baby. They grow up so fast! My guy switched himself to 2 naps at about 6.5 months, he was doing 3-4 naps before that, and now does 2 naps about 1.5 to 2 hours each. He just stopped wanting to go down for the morning and evening naps on his own, and started sleeping longer for the other 2.

Mrs - awesome that Sage is sleeping better! How''s the job hunt going?

blen - good luck with the home sale, I hope you can work it out to ake both sides happy.

mela - I''ve wondered a bit about indy too, I hope she''s doing OK.

DD - I hope the move keeps going smoothly for you!

Kyle sprouted another tooth, so he has both bottom ones now. And I think he''s working on the stranger anxiety, he''s been getting grumpy when I drop him off at daycare. She says he gets better after the first hour or so, and he''s happy when I pick him up. Anyone else figuring out Halloween costumes? I didn''t realize it would be such a tough decision! So far we''re leaning towards the green dragon from Old Navy...

 

[fieryred33143]

Blen-I''m so sorry about your accident but glad that you are ok and that it isn''t your fault (

). Good luck with the house!!

Ebree-I just started noticing hair loss. My hair was fabuloso all throughout my pregnancy and now I find chunks of it on my brush. I''m still taking PNV so I''m surprised I''m losing so much.

LL-BFing is tough. I spent a long time thinking Sophia wasn''t getting enough either especially since I would have her on the breast for a good hour to 1.5 hours. Turns out she was getting all she needed within 15 minutes and is a very efficient eater! Seeing the LC helped tons so I''m glad you went to see one. Medela''s site has scales that you can rent if you are really concerned and want to keep track of his weight but you don''t really need it.

Re Nursing to Sleep: This is a huge problem in my house. I nurse her to sleep. I usually put her down once she is done eating, sometimes she''s awake most times she''s asleep. It''s a problem because a) she''s depending on nursing to sleep and b) she almost always falls asleep when nursing. She could have just woken up from a nap and she''ll start to fall asleep again. I''ve been trying to keep her awake while nursing at night by saying her name. It takes longer to put her to bed that way but hopefully we''ll break the habit soon.

Pandora-I''m so sorry about everything that is going on. That sounds like a lot of stress and how sad for your cousin and brother''s BIL.

Mela-I think about Indy all the time even though I wasn''t as active when she was on PS. I hope she''s doing well. I wonder if any PSers have her contact info.

Penelope-Go Axel Go! A mobile baby eep!

DD-Hope the move goes smoothly so you can get your rear back on PS

MG-Aw another tooth

. Don''t know about costumes as most don''t fit Sophia. We''re thinking of just doing a sleeper.

****
All is ok here. Sophia hasn''t been sleeping as well as I''d like but secretly I''m glad she wakes up at night. I''m not getting enough time with her now that I''m working so I try to steal any minutes I can with her. We''ve gotten into this funky routine the past few days. She sleeps at nine, wakes at 1, then wakes again at 4 but will not fall asleep again unless she''s sleeping next to me. So FI will get her around 4 and he''ll sleep on the couch. I

it but its a problem because FI has to go to work too and his sleep is incredibly interrupted when he does this.

Pumping has been interesting. I''m not getting enough milk at all. I was able to pump 4.5oz this morning at 10am but only able to get 2oz at 12:40. Yesterday I got 4oz at 10 and another 4oz at 1 so I think my supply is getting worse. I''m going to do every 2 hours but considering that Sophia eats 4-4.5oz and takes 3 bottles while I''m gone, I don''t think we can do it without supplementing

. I''m going to keep trying. When I get home I feed her on one side and pump the other (which BTW is a hassle since she thinks the pump is hilarious and will stop feeding just to see what''s going on lol). I also get in another pumping session after her last feed before bed. I really hope I can keep up with it

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 9/30/2009 1:46:58 PM
Author: fiery
.

Pumping has been interesting. I''m not getting enough milk at all. I was able to pump 4.5oz this morning at 10am but only able to get 2oz at 12:40. Yesterday I got 4oz at 10 and another 4oz at 1 so I think my supply is getting worse. I''m going to do every 2 hours but considering that Sophia eats 4-4.5oz and takes 3 bottles while I''m gone, I don''t think we can do it without supplementing

. I''m going to keep trying. When I get home I feed her on one side and pump the other (which BTW is a hassle since she thinks the pump is hilarious and will stop feeding just to see what''s going on lol). I also get in another pumping session after her last feed before bed. I really hope I can keep up with it

Fiery, supposedly the body increases supply to meet demand, so if you just started pumping more frequently it should help to increase the supply. A while back someone, maybe EBree??, posted a link that had information on how to pump the most efficiently using compressions and it is really really helpful. Maybe she can post it again?

 

[Blenheim]

Fiery- are you doing compressions while you''re pumping? That helps get a lot more milk out. And I seriously once increased the amount of milk that I''ve expressed by 50% in the space of the week by hand expressing after pumping/compressions aren''t getting much of anything out. I just take the pumping attachments off of the bottles, lean over some and position the bottle over my nipple with the bottle held upright, and hand express.

I also wouldn''t read too much into the difference between two days. Sometimes I just have dips, and it''s back to normal within a day or two. Make sure that you''re resting enough, eating enough calories, drinking enough water, etc. And good luck with everything!!

BTW, feeling like I''m not spending enough time with George is really the main reason that we''re still bedsharing, so I completely understand. But having your FI sleep on the couch doesn''t sound ideal at all! Do you have a big enough bed that she could join both of you, or is there anyway that you could get a cosleeper or sidecar her crib to the bed?

PJ - I didn''t take that as bragging! I just meant that a couple of weeks ago I would hated to be in your shoes with a mobile baby, but it''s starting to seem better and better.

George is still on 3 naps a day.

MG - DH is refusing to buy a Halloween costume as he thinks that they''re worthless because babies can''t go trick or treating (WHO SAYS??!) but the latest issue of Parents (? Parenting? something like that?) magazine has a bunch of ideas for homemade costumes. I''m thinking about having George be a crocodile hunter (using khakis and his olive green sweatshirt and his stuffed croc, as a compromise to DH), although they also had the idea of dressing baby up as a piece of sushimi.

DD - good luck with all of the move and packing stuff!

House - we''ve come to an agreement! They''re signing the papers tonight, and we''re going to tomorrow.

 

[nycbkgirl]

Date: 9/30/2009 9:35:59 AM
Author: PenelopeJane
Mrs thanks! It sounds like you are on the right path to get Sage to sleep on her own. Good to hear you are being proactive. Keep us updated on the progress!

Pandora so sorry to hear about your family. Sounds like Daisy is doing great. I have no advice about sleep for BF moms. It is such a different ball game. You''re never sure if they''re getting enough since BM is more quickly digested than formula so night time feedings could be on the docket for a while. Totally off topic, but for whatever reason, when I read your posts, I view you as this old/wise English mother goose. ha ha. That is a compliment, btw.

Blen I''m sorry. My intention was not to boast or brag. Just excited to share, although I AM nervous that he is crawling since I spend a lot of one-on-one time with DD and he''s usually playing on the floor next to us. It is getting hard to spend quality time with her while supervising Axel. Luckily, we still have his naps (most of the time). I hope you guys get to sell the house!

Thank you, Mela!

Nyc must be enjoying vacation with DH.

Hi everyone else.

Has anyone''s baby transitioned to 2 naps yet? If so, when did this happen? Axel takes 3 naps, but I am wondering if he is fighting naps because he doesn''t need a 3rd one and needs to stay up longer in between the 1st and 2nd one.

hahaha! i am trying to enjoy acting like a real family for a week

... even tho we are not actually relaxing or going anywhere ...for me this is the best week ever! and im so upset its going so quickly

...(dh i think secretly cant wait to go back to work lol) he bathes the kids and puts them to bed then we relax in our room until i fall asleep and he is off to the couch poor thing..hopefully this will stop soon ...we are pretty successful so far with sttn with both and have yet to transition jackie from the living room bassinett to the nursery with jon...dh wanted to do it tonite but i think we should wait a while bc they just started sttn and i dont want any regressions!!...we are shopping and running errands but nothing at all vaca-like or relaxing lol...

axel is adorable

and look out ...baby on the move!! ooooh cant wait for that ! lol.!

cant get to everyone at the moment...

Blen-congrats and hope house sells!!!
Fiery- sooooo happy dh is helping out!
LL- Calvin is soooo cute..glad to see u here!

to everyone

 

[PenelopeJane]

DD I can''t imagine moving with a baby. Hope you guys get settled in soon. Axel''s 2nd nap is almost always 30-45 minutes, but I don''t think he could go from 11am-3pm without losing it. How long is Hunter awake before bedtime?

MGal thanks! That sounds like a good age to have 2 naps. He just seems so cranky without all 3 naps. I totally feel you on the little helpless baby. I ALWAYS say to Axel, "You used to live in my belly!" How can you be independent already. DH is opposite and I think it is natural for moms to truly miss the baby age since we invest ALL of our time nurturing/caring for them and dads want them to grow up so they can do "cool" things with. At least that''s how it is with us. And teeth!

Plural! That''s when you know your baby is getting old, but I think that is the cutest look for babies--when they sport only 2 bottom teeth.

As for costumes, I have no idea. DH wants to dress him up as Yoda (Star Wars fan), and while I think it would be cute, it looks like it would be a logistical nightmare. So back to the drawing board. I hope it is cold or at least cool out that night (I live in FL) because all the costumes I''ve seen envelope the babies and that could be torturous if it is humid/hot out. We won''t be trick-or-treating, but will probably go to a harvest festival or something like that.

Fiery Glad things are OK. When I was nursing, our routine was bath, PJs, nurse to sleep, move to bassinet. Then when he got older it was move to crib. THEN he was squirming and not staying asleep after nursing, so I took a chance and changed routine to nurse, bath, PJs and he went down quickly. I didn''t think it would work, but the bath helped him get relaxed and immediately ready for bed. It couldn''t hurt to experiment a little and see if she does better not nursing to sleep. As for BF, I feel for you. I beat myself up when my supply ran out and I did everything I thought I could do to get it back up and couldn''t. It sounds like it is very important to you to keep BF so you should explore every avenue to continue, but if you can''t, please don''t beat yourself up. You have done a great job and should be proud that you were able to BF her for this long. I hope everything works out, though! Keep us updated.

Blen whew, I am glad. That is amazing news about the house. Does this mean you are on your way to being a SAHM??

Nyc thank you so much! I love those kind of vacas and that is exactly what we''re going to do when DH starts his this weekend. Just enjoy the simple things. He will be cooking breakfast and taking DD to preschool every day--something they are BOTH very excited about. I also scheduled Axel''s 6 month shots in that week since DH has not been there for any of them. BUT, he was the one there when Axel was circumcised (I just couldn''t witness that) so I guess that makes up for everything. You are also a better woman than I... I can''t bring myself to relinquish all mommy duties to DH. Love him to death, but he takes Axel in the morning on the weekends so I can sleep in. Feeds, plays with him, etc and will then take him to the store (after Axel has been up for 3hrs) where he will then take a 20 min power nap in the stroller and be cranky/fussy until his next nap! I love sleeping in, but I wake up in a frenzy because baby''s schedule has been compromised and I have to deal with crying baby all day. So, kudos to you for having DH on mommy duty!

Not much going on here. MIL''s bday party is this weekend and let''s just say I''m not bouncing up and down for that. We''re also getting a cool front which is a big deal living in FL! What does everyone dress their babies in for everyday/lounging wear when it''s cold? Full sleepers? Sweats? Jeans/sweaters? Just curious!

 

[cdt1101]

hey mommies!

Blen - sorry to hear about the accident, but thankfully you and baby are ok! I'm not sure if I commented before, but George is adorable!!!!

Sabine - how is Jacks doing?

Lysser - Calvin is so cute!! Welcome!

Mgal - since you are the only other mommy here that I know bottle fed, did Kyle ever start just chewing the nipple instead of eating? Lex is 4 months this Saturday and suddenly this week he's eating less. Doesn't finish his bottles (used to eat like a crazy man). He will just stop and start chewing the nipple instead??? And then eventually just turns his head away...same thing w/ his morning cereal that he was finishing just fine until this week. Could it be teething??

He also is starting his 4 month sleep regression it seems

The past 2 nights he's been up twice! Last night I just let him fuss it out for an hour

He never actually full on cried, and I know lots of you wouldn't agree, but I absolutely refuse to feed him since he's been going 12 hours w/ only 1 feed since 9 weeks, I'm not introducing another 2 now. This week has just been such a weird one for him..not himself at all. So we'll see.

So my little man is 4 months Saturday...here's his monthly shot, I haven't been posting his monthly shots I don't think. He's 16 lbs, 25.5 inches long..still a big boy!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 10/1/2009 10:36:30 AM
Author: PenelopeJane
DD I can''t imagine moving with a baby. Hope you guys get settled in soon. Axel''s 2nd nap is almost always 30-45 minutes, but I don''t think he could go from 11am-3pm without losing it. How long is Hunter awake before bedtime?

He sleeps from 9 -11 am then from about 1pm/2pm to 3/3:30pm, then he is up until bedtime around 7pm, somtimes earlier or later by half an hour. He likes his napes but still wakes a lot at night

It is always something...

 

[fieryred33143]

DD and Blen-Thanks for the tips. I started pumping every 2 hours yesterday and today as well as doing compressions. I noticed a slight difference. Usually my first pump session of the day gives me 3-4oz and the rest decrease throughout the day. Today I have gotten 4oz with each session

. I''m going to take advantage of my boss not being here for the next two weeks and continue pumping every two hours. I finally received my replacement part. Did I post that one of the prongs in my Medela is broken and I had to pump one breast at a time? I can''t remember. Anyway it arrived today and I think that''s going to make a world of a difference. A lot of times when I''m pumping one side, I can feel the other letdown and when I check there is milk pouring into my pad

Blen-We unfortunately don''t have a big enough bed. We have a queen but Mr. Fiery and I are both big people so we wouldn''t fee comfortable having her in bed with us. She did it again last night. I think the main reason why we are bringing her into bed is because at that time (4-5AM) we cannot open our eyes to be able to rock her back to sleep. So he grabs her, I nurse, and she falls asleep as do I. The side lying position is fabulous and one of my favs.

Congratulations on the house

What a relief to get it sold!

PJ-Where in FL do you live? I live in South Florida. It hasn''t been cool here at all but we do keep the house cool. She''s normally in full sleepers.

CDT-Lex is adorable

***
Sophia is 3 months today! So exciting. Everything now is just great. When they said it gets easier, it really does get easier. I don''t remember if I posted this either (I post on another baby site too so I forget what I write where lol) but she''s learning how to laugh. She does this hilarious thing where she breathes in deeply and goes HA! It cracks me up every time. She''s also "talking." She''ll go on and on mumbling a bunch of stuff and forming her lips as if she''s trying to say words. It makes us laugh.

Work is going well. It''s going to take a while before I can get into a routine but I''m getting there.

 

[Pandora II]

Fiery - I''ve read that having a photo of your baby and/or an item of their clothing that smells of them can really help with expressing as it triggers the hormones as well as the physical part due to the pumping.

I thought I might actually murder my daughter yesterday... she got up at 7am and then didn''t go to sleep for more than 10 minutes until 11pm - when she stayed asleep for 30 minutes. I gave up and went to bed myself and she woke up 4 times and then decided that 6am was getting up time...

I feel really bad that I actually shouted at her

. DH has been away so I have been totally on my own for a few days. I hadn''t managed to do anything as she''s been super-clingy and won''t play on her own much, and I think that tiredness and lack of food didn''t help my mood! Anyway, I put her in her cot where she was safe and shut the door so I could calm down... I made and ate supper/lunch and then made an apple & blackberry crumble from scratch... and she was still screaming... so I went in and got her up for a cuddle and we had a nice bath together. I will NEVER attempt CIO to get her to sleep - this was nearly 2 hours and I only did it because I thought a break from each other was essential rather than as an attempt to get her sleeping.

Today has been a bit better with a couple of decent naps and she''s sat and played with her toys a good amount. Then, joy of joys, DH came home and took her out to a meeting with him. Sadly they were back in an hour, but it gave me a break and he then took her while I cooked and got the laundry done. She''s been asleep now for nearly 3 hours!

She''s wanting to eat all the time the last few days - seriously eat rather than just snacking - so I''m wondering if she''s going through another growth spurt - she''s coming up for 5 months?

Blen - Thanks for the info on the bed-sharing. DH and I are both more than happy with it - and it means that I actually get a decent amount of sleep as I can feed her while I''m snozzing.

LL - Welcome! I think it''s normal to panic about amount of milk they are getting, but if he''s gaining weight then you are doing fine. I really didn''t have any and Daisy lost stacks of weight (nearly 20% of her birth weight) until they stuck her on formula till my milk came in properly.

I started sleep-training (as EASY) from the second week. Not that Daisy has ever STTN or even close, but we ''normally'' have a good routine and she''ll put herself to sleep pretty well most of the time.

Do NOT feel guilty about the swing! ENJOY... because once they start to get bored....

Ebree - My hair went horrible, it''s normally very fine and feels silky but recently it has been falling out and feels horrible and coarse. I went to the hairdresser and had a load cut off. He said he sees it all the time and that it will go back to normal - although not as nice as it is when you are pg. I''ve noticed my nails aren''t as strong as they have been either - although I have been cutting them very short.

Here''s a recent photo of my devil child...

The romper is one that I bought many years ago in Burano, one of the islands near Venice that is famous for lace-making. The collar was handmade by this little old lady in one of the shops.