September / October / November mommys 2012

Hi Ladies

Just a quick one - I have read the responses but don't have much time to reply as I am back at work today !!!
Man - 4 months sure does go by very quickly.

Jaimey is going to a nursery school - I hope she will be ok there.
She has gone back to 3 hourly feeds - even at night - which is killing me. She got an ear infection about 3 weeks ago and since then her routine has gone out the window. I hope it settles soon enough - especially with me going back to work.

She likes her tummy time - also did not like it at first but then all of sudden she is completely happy with it. She is trying to grab her toys and put it in her mouth. Her hands and fingers are always in her mouth. She has rolled over - she did it 3 times in a row on 3 Jan - but then not again!
She also only wants to sit upright - she tries so hard to pull herself forward when I have her sitting against a pillow.
I can't believe how fast time has gone by!!

Belaine - sorry to hear about your retrenchment - i hope you can find something else very soon!!

To everyone else that is still on leave - enjoy every minute as it sure goes by very quickly.

oh - I have also started Jaimey with some cereal. She has 2 teaspoons at 12h00 each day. Seems to have settled fine with that. I will keep it going for another few weeks before i introduce her to a veggie!!

Mckim - Jaimey is back to the same schedule as your little guy with sleeping so I am welcoming any tips too. (She was sleeping from 7pm - 2am and then 6 but now she is up at 11pm too. )
You can try the tissue salts - think it is no 8 or 9 - check for the cramps and gas.

anyways - let me be off. Back to work and trying to find my feet.

Happy new year to all of you and hope its a good one!

Oh and Zoe, Matthew hated being on his tummy too. I kept doing it because it was recommended for muscles etc and found he could deal with it for about 5 min at a time with a pillow half propping him up. The suddenly two weeks ago (3 months) he suddenly started loving it and actively wanting to be on his tummy. Don't know if this is true for all babies but keep at it for Zach, you might find he suddenly starts to like it too.

Hi Everyone,

So I haven't been on the forum for months. Belaine, sorry to hear about the retrenchment, that's terrible news. Are they at least giving you a reasonable severance pay?

BettsF, Matthew is also doing the chewing thing on his fist a lot and drooling everywhere. If you put a finger near him he shoves it in his mouth and bites down hard. I'm told it's too early for him to be teething but this sounds like it to me?

Generally Matthew is doing very well. He's 15 weeks now, 7.5 kg (doubled his birthweight) and 63 cm long. He's finally coming off his reflux medicine (reflux made the first couple of months really difficult so we're reallly really happy he's getting better). He was spoilt rotten by all the grandparents at Christmas but took it in his stride. Unfortunately he's not really sleeping through the night - we put him down at 7:30 and he wakes at 23:30, 2:30 and 6. It's not too bad so I'm not complaining but if anyone has any ideas how I can get him to sleep for slightly longer I'd appreciate advice? The other thing that's been a problem the last couple of nights is gas which has made him wake up every half hour screaming. I'm giving him buscopan for general gripes, any other ideas?

Otherwise I hope everyone has a fantastic new year. Best of luck

Hi everyone! Sure is quiet on here! I take it everyone had a good christmas, the first for our babies. Ours was good, spent the day at my mums, had a big feast. The eating has continued right through the holiday. On my end, all is good, Eli is doing well, hes such a relaxed baby when he wants to be, but other times only has eyes for mama, leaving me quite overwhelmed as i have my 4 year old as well. Im beginning to suspect hes teething, my mum says no ways hes too young, but he drools so much, is constantly gnawing on his fist and anything else he can get his hands on. Anyone experiencing the same, his older brother had his first tooth at 4 months, so maybe just maybe. We are still struggling with formulae, and he developed a slight excema looking rash on both his ankles, i could be wrong, but it looks alot like it. I really hope not as his brother has dairy and egg allergies which really makes feeding a bit difficult. Ill observe it for a couple of days and if it does not clear up, its off to the paed with us. Cant believe im almost back at work, so depressing, been trying to shop a bit, coz most of my clothes dont fit and i work in a very corporate environment. Im trying to squeeze into a size 34, altho i might just have to go up a size. What are your plans for the new years?

Hi Zoe
Shame hun it sounds very hectic for you! And they can start getting demanding at 3 months!

You can start gently by lying him on your chest and have him pull himself up, and use a breastfeeding pillow or a cusion and use that to support him a bit by putting it under his chest, then its less work for him. You can kind of alternate between these two and actual tummy time a few times each day.
I would say with each awake time, the first 20-30mins while he is still content and happy is the best time to put him on his tummy, and you only have to do it for a few minutes at a time.
Put him on his play gym so he has something to look at or put a colourful rattle or a fold out book in front of him so he has reason to want to lift his head. Or you can lie in front of him and spend quality time.

Rei is also not really a fan. I do it a few times a day. She is 9 weeks now.
Don't stress about the fact that it's not been done till now. He will have been using these muscles while in your arms etc too. And when sleeping dont put him on his back, alternate the sides he's sleeping on after each feed. This strengthens his back muscles too and will all help.

Tummy time is important for teaching them to roll over (starts around 4 months) and eventually sitting too (6-8 months mostly).

Sounds like he is developing well otherwise though.

The crabbiness could be teething? Try get some prodol or ponsarol gel (check with pharmacy re his age) or you can administer some ponado as required, 0,6mls.

Something might be disturbing his sleep? Do you still change his diaper and burp him at night? From this age, you can stop that. Only change poo diapers or if its really full. Don't wind, just put him down on his side with a burp towel next to him. Dream feed him - lie him down next to you to feed him so you dont disturb his sleep. They do unfortunately go through these sleep disturbances and the best you can do is wait out their normal awake time ie 60-80mins and start getting him back to sleep like you would during the day - you and hubby can take turns when he does this at night!

Rei sleeps fairly well from when she goes down (7ish) till between 1 & 3am. But from then, she seems to wake 2 hourly, and sleeps very restlessly from 5am till she eventually wakes between 6 & 7. I am really not sure how to get her out of this routine as its been about 2 weeks. I did offer the dummy this morning at 5:30 when she woke fully and she stayed awake but kept herself calm so I stayed dosing till 6:15 when K woke up.

I am very happy that DH is now on leave. So we can take turns with the girls in the mornings and try get some naps in between. It's been an exhausting week alone with the girls. Don't know how anyone manages alone with 2 kids!

Wishing everyone a blessed and merry Christmas!

Hi Ladies

My little boy has been keepig me really busy.
Im exhausted at the end of the day. I dont have a maid, so juggling cooking cleaning and taking care of Zach, and its hectic.

So I have not been putting Zach on his tummy, and I have just started, and he screams blue murder when I do do it.
Have I left it for too long?

He is 3 months old today, and for the past 4 days he has been extremely crabby.
He has also cut down on his feedings.
Is this normal?
He has started to grasp things in his hands, and bat at the toy on his playmat.
I'm just worried that I only introduced tummy time now only?

I'm still struggling with a sleep routine. yesterday he was awake from 2am, he didnt want a feed, and I had to walk from room to room as he was crying, he eventually fell off to sleep at 3:30am.
I feel as if I'm doing something wrong, can anyone please advise?

Hi girls

Dont have time to read through and reply. I do read the messages as they come in though. Glad most of you are doing well and LO's are doing well too. What a rough time the first 6 weeks are hey!!!

Just a quick one before hubby chases me away.

Rei is now 8 weeks old. At her 7 week check up she weighed 5.5kgs and was 55cm tall. The vaccinations went okay. She was quite niggly for about 36hours afterwards but not too bad. She is smiling and cooing loads now, her head is nice and strong but tummy time is a challenge she doesnt like it much, lifts her head but not her shoulders yet. She is a very chill baby most of the time. But I must be careful to not overstimulate herand to get her down exactly at the right time then it's easy, if its delayed then we can sit for hours trying to get her to sleep. Sometimes she'll be asleep and make a poo, or dummy will fall out and we wont know till she's fully awake and starts crying, then its a mission to get her back down again, nearly imopssible.
I'm starting to get her down on her own, drowsy, with a dummy. Trying to make sure she always sleeps in her cot so she becomes familiar with it.
It may take a few weeks but it'll be worth it. I don't let her cry though, as most times its cos dummy has fallen out and she needs it back in. Only at night that she doesnt sleep with a dummy cos she goes right back to sleep after feeding and doesnt need it to soothe her.
Will start weaning the daytime feeds in a couple of weeks time. Still hafve to decide if I will express with the morning and night feeds (ie feed and express same time) or if I will just introduce formula. With her going to school, the expressing will really be best for her but I know its to her disadvantage. And then to decide if I can use my lunch break to express the 3rd daytime feed at work.
She takes TT bottles which I'm happy about. They are also affordable which helps. And loves her snoekums cheapie dummies although have to replace them as they are well used by now. Luckily they are R8 each!

Kaylee adjusting well, although still doesnt like if I must get Rei to sleep or bath here etc. Very happy sa long as I'm still able to give her attention, and says to Rei "Mommy come to Rei now now". She has started throwing a lot of tantrums though so its a fine balance between distraction and discipline which is harder with 4 adults involved.

Right hubby chasing me now.
Take care!!